Two Dark Hearts
by RocketRaccoonGirl83
Summary: Tari is being forced to marry a stranger, who she soon discovers is cruel and violent. She finds herself turning to the youngest prince of Asgard, who needs a friend. As they fall into a doomed love, both grow bitter and ruthless and their hearts turn dark. LokixOC
1. Chapter 1

Hi readers. This story has been stuck in my head for ages so I really wanted to write it down. I hope you enjoy it.

Chapter 1

Tari glared at her stepfather, Lord Crane, from across the room. She had always hated him, but now she absolutely loathed him. He was forcing her to marry a complete stranger, far older than her, simply to improve his political position. Her new fiancé was willing to illegally give Crane money, property and slaves in exchange for her.

"Tari, there you are!" exclaimed her mother's voice from behind her. Tari turned to see her mother heading towards her, looking exasperated. "I've been looking for you everywhere! You need to get ready, Lord Gorran is going to be here in an hour!" Tari allowed her mother to drag her off to her chambers.

On her bed laid a crimson dress.

"Put it on." Her mother commanded. Tari reluctantly stripped to her undergarments and hastily slipped the dress on. Her mother began to lace from the back, pulling so tight that Tari could barely breath.

"Must you tie it so tight?" she asked breathlessly.

"Don't you want to look beautiful for your husband to be?" her mother snapped.

"Not if I have to suffocate." Tari muttered sullenly.

"You will not impress Lord Gorran with that attitude." Her mother scolded. Tari scowled. She didn't _want_ to impress him. She wished she didn't have to marry him. She'd had nightmares for weeks about the abuse she feared her future husband would inflict on her. Her mother's hands set to weaving her hair into a long intricate braid. Tari didn't understand why Lord Gorran even wanted to marry her; she was far younger than he was, and wasn't particularly pretty either. Her face was ordinary looking, she was rather short and her figure went straight up and down like a board. Yes, she had striking red hair, but it was wild and unkempt and never did what she wanted. Her mother began to paint her face with cosmetics, making her look like a doll.

"Put these on." Her mother commanded, holding out a pair of black shoes with heels. "Goodness knows you need to add a few inches to your height." Tari rolled her eyes but pulled the shoes on anyway. They were stiff and made her ankles ache. Her mother stepped back and looked at her.

"There, you look a picture!" she sighed happily but her face hardened and grew stern. "Now, Tari, I don't want any bad attitude from you. Do not talk back to Lord Gorran, do not be sullen. Now come. We must go to meet him." Tari followed her mother out of the room on shaking legs. She was scared. No, she was terrified. She didn't want to meet this man. Her mother led her to the drawing room and sat her down. Tari sat motionless, chewing the inside of her cheek, as she always did when she was nervous. After a minute or two, the door swung open and her stepfather strode in, followed by a man Tari assumed was Lord Gorran. He was tall and broad with sharp features, ice blue eyes and dark hair. He reminded Tari of an eagle. She stood and bobbed a small curtsy, the way her mother had taught her to. Gorran looked her up and down before taking a seat beside Crane. Tari sat, not liking the feel of his gaze on her. Crane and Gorran proceeded to discuss the terms of the engagement, and to Tari's relief, she was not spoken to. Most of their conversation meant little to her until Crane said, "And she will go with you tonight." Tari's head snapped up at that.

"Tonight?" she asked, trying not to sound too reluctant, while her heart raced with fear.

"Yes, tonight." Crane said before turning straight back to Gorran. Tari felt like someone had poured a bucket of icy water all over her. She didn't want to leave with a man she had just met! She clenched her hands into fists to stop them from shaking. She was being bartered and sold like livestock!

"The wedding will take place in one year." Said Crane. At least she wasn't being married immediately.

Finally, the discussion was over and the two men stood.

"Tari, your things have been packed and are being brought to the main gate." Crane said. He led the way to the gate, where a carriage was waiting for Gorran and Tari. Tari felt numb as her mother kissed her goodbye and bundled her into the carriage. She hadn't had time to take it in. Gorran climbed in beside her and the carriage jolted her away to her new life.

Loki stood in his father's throne room, bored. They were here to welcome back High Lord Gorran, a man Loki had never liked, and the poor girl who was to be his bride. Though, it was probably some silly, giggling Lord's daughter who would annoy the hell out of him. The door swung open and Gorran strode towards them, a short girl with wild red hair following him. She had dark brown eyes and a delicate face. She wasn't exactly pretty, but she was interesting looking.

"Welcome back, Lord Gorran." Odin greeted the lord and then turned to the girl. "What is your name?" he asked her.

"My name is Tari Silven, Your Majesty." She said quietly.

"Welcome to the palace, Tari Silven." Odin smiled. Gorran left hastily, taking the girl with him. Loki excused himself while Thor was congratulated on some new way of being perfect. Thor had always been Odin's favourite son. Thor was everyone's favourite, men and maidens alike. Men wanted to be his friend and maidens wanted to marry him. It was always the same. Loki was lonely. He read, he focused on his magic, but he never had any company.

That's it for today. I hope you enjoyed it. I'm sorry that it took such a long time to get to Loki. Please follow and review, constructive criticism is always welcome.


	2. Chapter 2

Hi readers. Thank you so much kathrynrose42 for following and favouriting. I hope you enjoy chapter 2.

Chapter 2

Tari stood in the gardens. She took a deep, trembling breath, trying to suppress the tears that threatened to spill. She didn't understand what was wrong with her; nothing bad had happened, Gorran had barely spoken to her, but … she was so upset. She had just needed to get away for a while. It was dark and cold but it was so much better than being with Gorran.

Tari heard light footsteps heading in her direction. She shrank back into the shadows, not wanting to be found, not wanting to talk to anyone. The youngest prince came into view, looking deep in thought. Tari bit her lip. She didn't know what the prince was like. What if he dragged her back to Gorran? He hadn't noticed her yet. He turned around and his eyes widened slightly as he saw her.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

"I-I just came to get some air." Tari answered timidly. "Oh, um… Your Grace." She corrected herself hastily but the prince smiled.

"Call me Loki. I've always hated those formal titles." He said, smiling.

"Alright." Tari smiled at him shyly.

"Your name is Tari, isn't it?" Loki asked.

"Yes." Tari heard heavy footsteps. Gorran appeared from behind a cluster of trees. Tari's heart dropped to her stomach. With a brief, "Your Grace." Gorran proceeded to drag Tari away, his hand squeezing her wrist too hard. He stopped by the palace wall.

"What are you doing out here?" he demanded angrily. "I told you to be where I can find you and keep an eye on you." Had he? Tari had been in such a daze she hadn't listened to much.

"I was just- "Tari was cut off by a stinging slap to her face. She gasped with pain and tears filled her eyes.

"You will not talk back to me or make excuses, you understand?" Gorran growled.

Tari nodded dejectedly.

"Good." Gorran sneered. "We dine with the Allfather tomorrow. I'll fetch you. Wear something pretty." He left her with tears streaming down her cheeks. Tari breathed deeply, attempting to stop the sobs that tried to escape her mouth. Gorran was cruel and violent and she was trapped in an engagement to him. She wiped her tears away roughly and made her way back to the palace. Could she tell anyone about this? She knew no one here, and she knew that Crane would not allow this engagement to end. He would be so angry with her. Valhalla knew what he'd do. She was trapped.

The next day, Tari sat waiting for Gorran to fetch her for dinner. She wore a silky pale blue dress. There was a knock at the door. She took a deep breath and opened it to reveal Gorran waiting outside. He offered his arm and she took it reluctantly. Gorran led her through a maze of corridors until they reached a big oak door. Gorran knocked and a servant let them in. The servant led them to a large room with four people seated around it: the Allfather, a woman with a kind, clever face and golden hair who Tari assumed was Queen Frigga and two young men. One was broad and muscled with the queen's golden hair, sky blue eyes and a ruggedly handsome face. He had to be Prince Thor. The last, Tari knew, was Loki. She hadn't been able to take in his appearance yesterday; it had been dark and she had not been focused. He was tall and lean, yet muscled. His hair was jet black, contrasting drastically with his pale skin. His eyes were emerald green. He somehow reminded her of winter. He had a cold calculating face but his eyes glittered with humour.

"Welcome, Lord Gorran and Lady Tari." The Allfather greeted them. "Please sit." Gorran gestured for Tari to sit beside him. She found herself with Loki on her other side. He grinned at her. His smile was infectious and Tari found herself smiling back.

"Hello again." He said quietly as the rest of the table began talking.

"Hello." Tari said.

"Are you enjoying your stay at the palace?" Loki asked Tari. She nodded.

"Yes but I'm having trouble learning my way around." She said. Loki chuckled.

"Yes, I know it can be confusing." He replied. "Though you must visit the library. If you like books it is like heaven."

"I will have to find it then; I love books." Tari said, smiling. It was good to know that she would have something enjoyable to pass the time.

"Good. Which is your favourite?" Loki asked. Tari considered this.

"I don't know; I love so many! I like Midgardian stories, like Jane Eyre and Great Expectations." She replied.

The rest of the meal passes quickly. Loki was enjoyable company, and the only one who deigned to speak with Tari, other than Queen Frigga. Eventually it ended. Tari said goodbye to Loki before Gorran took her away. It was good to have a friend here; Valhalla knew she needed one.

That's all for today. I should update by next Wednesday at the latest.

Kathrynrose42- Thank you, I'm so glad you like it!


	3. Chapter 3

Hi readers. I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 3

Tari sighed and glanced around, looking for something familiar; she was lost. She had been trying to find the gardens but had taken the wrong turning somewhere and had foolishly tried to turn back and had messed that up. She was hopeless. She wandered aimlessly for a few minutes, frustrated with herself.

Gorran was in a meeting with the Allfather so she had taken the opportunity to get away from him. Eventually she found herself in front of a pair of dark oak doors with small glass windows in them. Curious, Tari peered through one of the windows. She was met by the sight of a huge room with walls covered in shelves and shelves of books. The library. Why not go inside? Gorran wouldn't be back for ages and she wasn't going to find her chambers any time soon. She pushed open the door and stepped inside. There were only a few people inside, including a little old man with a white beard who glared at her as soon as she walked in. Tari ignored him and made her way to the packed shelves. Loki had been right; it was like heaven. She scanned the shelves for familiar or interesting titles. "Legends of Asgard" she read aloud. She pulled the book off the shelf and sat down to read. She lost herself in stories of great rulers and heroes. She read about the dark elves and the frost giants of Jottunnheim.

"I see you found the library." A smooth voice startled Tari back to reality. Loki stood a couple of feet to her left. Tari smiled.

"Yes. You were right, it's amazing." She said reverently. Loki grinned.

"It's nice to have someone else who enjoys reading. All my oafish brother cares about is waving his stupid hammer around." He said.

"I can imagine." Said Tari. There was a pause.

"Do you mind if I join you?" Loki asked. Tari smiled.

"Not at all." She said. Loki sat in the chair opposite her. He opened his book and began to read it. Tari went back to hers, but she couldn't focus. Her thoughts drifted to Gorran. The truth was, he scared her. He hadn't hurt her since that time in the gardens but he made it clear that the slightest thing would set him off. He kept a close eye on her. Loki's voice cut into her thoughts.

"Are you Lord Crane's daughter? My father didn't seem sure."

"His stepdaughter." Tari said sharply. "He introduces me as his daughter but I'm not. My real father died when I was a small child."

She remembered her father well. He had been a tall man with her red hair. He had been a farmer and had loved his little daughter very much but he had fallen ill and had died within weeks of showing symptoms. Tari's mother, who had not been able to support them after the death of Tari's father, married Lord Crane mere months after her husband's death. Tari understood that her mother had done it to ensure their survival, but it had still felt like a betrayal of her father's memory.

"I'm sorry." Loki said quietly.

"It's fine. I stopped grieving a long time ago." Tari said. There was a pause.

"So, I know that you like reading. What else do you like doing?" Loki asked in a lighter tone.

"I like to draw." Tari replied.

"Are you good at it?" Loki asked. Tari frowned, considering. She had been told that she was a talented artist but she didn't want to seem like she was boasting. Also, she had never been sure how good her drawings were.

"People have said so." She said, shrugging. "How about you?" she had heard that the youngest prince of Asgard could create illusions and it interested her. She'd like to see him do it. As if he'd read her mind, Loki grinned and said,

"Magic."

"Can you show me?" Tari asked hesitantly. Loki nodded and pointed to the little old man who had glared at Tari when she had walked into the library.

"That's the librarian. He gets absolutely furious if someone so much as puts a book back in the wrong place. Do you want to see how he reacts if, say, someone's hound got in here and damaged a book or two?" Loki asked, his eyes glinting with mischief. Tari's sense of humour and curiosity got the better of her judgement and she nodded, grinning. With a wave of his hand, Loki had an image of a large hound standing a few metres away. Tari's eyes widened. It looked so real. She jumped when the image began to move and a book appeared in it's mouth. The little librarian looked up and spotted the image. His little eyes widened to practically the size of dinner plates and he started shouting and waving his arms around while advancing on the illusion. Loki made the image begin to chew the book and run wildly around the library. Several people looked up at the old man pursuing the illusion but said and did nothing. A few laughed, including Tari, as the librarian cursed the image. It was funny. Loki was grinning. He waved his hand and the hound disappeared. The librarian stopped and looked around, looking befuddled. His gaze came to rest on Loki and realisation lit his eyes. He glared at Loki, but since he was a prince, the librarian couldn't really do anything. Tari laughed but glanced at the small clock above the door. Gorran would leave the meeting soon and he wouldn't be pleased to know that she had left her chambers.

"I um… I have to go." She said hurriedly. Loki frowned.

"Alright." He said suspiciously, as if he suspected something was wrong. No, Tari told herself. He had no reason to.

She then remembered her former predicament: how did she get back to her chambers?

"I… this is embarrassing. I don't know how to get back to my chambers." Tari said sheepishly. "I know that they're in the west wing somewhere but I don't know how to get there." Loki chuckled.

"I can show you how to get there if you like." He offered.

"Thank you." Tari smiled gratefully. They stood and left the library, the librarian glaring at them on the way out. Loki led Tari through the endless maze of corridors, seeming to know the way effortlessly. They walked until they reached a corridor that Tari recognised.

"I know the way from here, but thank you." She said. She didn't want Loki to go all of the way to her chambers. That would be… odd. Loki smiled.

"It's fine. I'll see you again sometime?" Tari nodded.

"Yes. Goodbye." She smiled at him and made her way to her chambers. She opened the door and stepped inside.

Several minutes later, there was a knock at the door. Tari pulled the door open and Gorran stood in the doorway.

"My Lord." She greeted him nervously. He glared at her.

"I saw you with the prince. You are getting ideas above your station and you have been flirting with other men. Are you forgetting that you are engaged to me?" he growled and grabbed her wrist roughly. Tari tried to pull away, frightened, but Gorran did not let go.

"While you are engaged to me you will not flirt with other men." Gorran snarled and slammed his fist into Tari's stomach. Tari doubled over, tears streaming from her eyes. Gorran hit her over and over and intense waves of pain racked Tari's body until she fell to the floor, sobbing. Gorran knelt beside her and lifted her face.

"Tell anyone about this and I'll make sure you regret it." He snarled and let go of her. He left her and shut the door. Tari dragged herself to her bed and collapsed. This was going to be her life. Being beaten every night.

.

That's it for today. I hope you enjoyed it.


	4. Chapter 4

Hi readers. Thank you phantomshadow99 for following. I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 4

Tari woke with an aching abdomen and tear stained cheeks. Memories of last night flashed inside her mind. The pain, the fear. She had never thought that Gorran would go so far over so little. She hadn't done anything wrong. She had been talking with a friend. That was it.

Tari painfully dragged herself out of bed and dressed. To her horror, her stomach, back and sides were covered in purple bruises. It hurt to move. Tari sat in a chair, holding herself stiffly so she wouldn't aggravate her bruises. If Gorran had been so angry about her time with Loki, then she wouldn't be able to speak with him if there was the slightest chance of Gorran seeing. She wouldn't be able to speak with warmth to ay man. Not if she didn't want a repeat of last night. It saddened her that she could lose Loki as a friend , but she didn't have much choice. Loki had been the only person who had deigned to speak with her and she was being forced to give that up.

.

Loki stifled a yawn. He was in a council meeting and it was possibly one of the most boring events of his life. Odin insisted that he and Thor attended council meetings so that they might improve their understanding of how to rule. Loki did not feel that he needed this. He fully understood a king's duties. Loki wished that Odin would make the decision of who was to be his heir. He wanted to know if he was wasting his time; Odin had always favoured Thor over Loki and Loki had never understood why. But surely even Odin couldn't overlook the fact that Loki would be the better king. Thor was a warrior. He would plunge Asgard into war with the slightest provocation, surely Odin realised that? Loki sighed. He wished the bloody meeting would end. After what seemed like an eternity, it did. Loki left as quickly as he could. He began to make his way to the library. He spotted Tari in the corridors. She was holding herself stiffly, as if in pain. Loki frowned. Had something hurt her? He approached her.

"Hello." He greeted her. She flinched, as if he had frightened her.

"Hello." Tari said quietly, without looking at him.

"Are you alright?" Loki asked. She was acting so different from yesterday. Before, she had been mirthful and talkative, but now she was cold and quiet. What had changed?

"I'm fine." Tari said. "I have to go." She turned right and disappeared down the corridor and Loki was left alone. He frowned. He had thought… she had acted like his friend before. He had thought that he'd found someone who liked him and accepted him. Clearly not.

He reached the library and stepped inside. He sat down to read, but it felt lonelier than ever.

.

Tari winced as Gorran snaked an arm around her waist. He had pressed on one of her bruises. They were at dinner with another lord, whose name Tari had forgotten. She couldn't keep her mind on the conversation. It had been a week since she had blanked Loki in the corridors and she hadn't counted on how lonely she would feel. She didn't understand why the loss of one person had affected her life so much. She'd had a grand total of three conversation with him, but… well, he had been the only person who had treated her with any kind of warmth for years and years. Now her life was cold sand empty, aside from the pain that Gorran inflicted upon her. He had beaten her twice since the night that he had accused her of flirting with Loki, and he had badly twisted her wrist. There had been no reason for his violence, Tari had done nothing. She thought that perhaps he was trying to make her scared of him, so that she wouldn't defy him. The truth was, it was working. She trembled every night, terrified that Gorran was going to come and hurt her. She hated the fact that she was going to live like this for her entire life; living in fear of the man who was supposed to love her, with no one who truly did.

Tari sat silently through the rest of the meal, barely eating anything. She wished that she could just disappear.

Eventually, the meal ended and Gorran left Tari alone in the corridors. Tari didn't want to go back to her chambers. She felt too enclosed there, like she was trapped. She wanted to go to the gardens and draw. She retrieved her leather sketch book and a pencil from her chambers and made her way to the gardens. The sun was setting and the sky was turning from pink to blood red. She sat down on one of the white stone benches and opened her sketch book. She drew the little green bird that hopped around a few feet away from her. Then it was the setting golden sun, but her drawings grew darker and more sinister: eyes staring out of darkness, knife sharp teeth and claws and last, a girl cowering away from shadowy hands that tried to hit her, control her, change her. Tari blinked. That was her. She snapped the book shut, tears streaming down her cheeks.

.

That's all for today. I hope you enjoyed it. I should update by next Monday.


	5. Chapter 5

Hi readers. I hope you enjoy this next chapter. I should be updating every Monday now.

Chapter 5

Tari pushed her food around her plate listlessly. These days, she didn't have much of an appetite, mostly because of being around Gorran. He made her nervous, which put her off eating. She was in the huge dining hall, where most of the palace residents ate regularly. Gorran was beside Tari, silent like a brewing storm. It was better to be around him in public; he couldn't do anything if people were looking.

A servant approached Tari and handed her a small, square envelope and departed swiftly. Tari frowned. Who would send her a letter? Gorran was watching her now.

"What is that?" he asked suspiciously.

"I don't know." Tari replied quietly, tearing open the envelope. She pulled out the letter. It was from her mother and said:

"My dear daughter,

I hope that you are enjoying life at the palace and that your engagement pleases you. Your father has arranged for him and I to come and visit you." Tari recoiled at the word "father". Crane was not her father. The only reason he was coming was probably just to try and get on the Allfather's good side, not because he missed Tari, or cared about her in the slightest.

"We should arrive within a week. I hope that we will find you well.

Your loving mother." The letter concluded. Tari wasn't sure how to react. In a way, she wanted to see her mother, but she knew that all her mother would talk about was how lucky Tari was to be engaged to a lord and that Tari needed to wear nicer dresses and would repeatedly ask if Tari had met anyone of importance. Tari would end up bored out of her mind, and she certainly didn't want to see Crane. It was all his fault that she was in this situation. But maybe… would either of them do anything if she told them about Gorran's abuse? Her mother would care, surely? If she could get them alone while they were here, she could tell them. Crane could end this if he wanted to. Perhaps her mother could persuade him? It was worth a try.

.

Loki leaned back in his chair, bored. Thor was telling his moronic friends another story of how amazing he was and his parents were speaking with a pair of nobles. He had no one to talk to. Not that he would want to speak to Thor and his friends anyway, although Sif and Hogun weren't so bad. Loki looked across the room at Tari. She was looking at a piece of paper with an expression that Loki couldn't read. They had not spoken since she had been cold with him. He just wished that he knew what had gone wrong. He shouldn't care, she was just another girl; no one special. They hadn't even spoken much and yet it felt like a much greater loss than it really was. Loki sighed and excused himself from the dining hall. As he walked out, he noticed Tari watching him. She looked away immediately when he looked at her, but he had seen. What was going through her mind? Loki looked away and left the dining hall.

.

Tari braced herself as the carriage containing her mother and Crane jerked to a halt. Gorran was beside her, frowning. The driver climbed out of the carriage and opened the door. Crane stepped out, followed by Tari's mother. Clearly Gorran had given them the money he had promised them; Tari's mother was wearing the richest dress Tari had ever seen her in and red jewels adorned her throat and wrists.

"Tari!" her mother beamed and enveloped Tari in an embrace. Tari awkwardly returned her mother's affections, wishing that she would let go; she had never been one for much physical contact. Her mother released her, still smiling broadly. Crane stepped forward, as if also meaning to embrace her, but Tari stepped back, glaring at him warningly. Crane paused and stepped back.

"Greetings, Lord Crane." Gorran nodded at Crane.

"Lord Gorran." Crane greeted him.

"Let us adjourn to my suite." Gorran said and took hold of Tari's shoulder. He turned her and led her to the palace, her mother and Crane following. Eventually, they reached Gorran's huge suite. They sat in soft comfortable armchairs and Gorran talked with Crane about further conditions of Tari's engagement to him. Tari eventually stopped listening. It wasn't like she had any control over them. She just had to wait for Gorran to leave for one reason or another- then she'd appeal to Crane and her mother. It was a long shot, but if it spared her from a lifetime of abuse, it was worth it. She didn't want to end up like her mother.

Eventually, Gorran excused himself, saying that he had a meeting to attend. Tari waited a few minutes, the fearful voice in her head telling her that Gorran could be listening and he'd be angry. She knew that was stupid, but she couldn't help but fear the worst.

"how has your engagement been?" Crane asked, his sharp eyes fixed on Tari.

"Um…" she stammered nervously. "I…"

"I don't have all day, Tari." Crane taunted. Tari bit her lip.

"Gorran has been hurting me." She murmured. Her mother frowned and looked concerned but Crane remained emotionless.

"In what way?" he inquired, though it didn't seem like he really cared. Tari swallowed, unsure if she should continue. What if Crane told Gorran? No, she had to tell them.

"He has beaten me three times. My stomach and back are very bruised and he twisted my wrist. I think that it's sprained." Tari said hurriedly, automatically rubbing her injured wrist. She waited nervously for Crane's reaction. He stared at her for several seconds with an expression that Tari could not read.

"Tari, I would not care if Gorran attempted to murder you. It is a man's right to treat his betrothed how he wishes and I am not giving up everything this engagement has gained me just because you cannot accept that fact. You are lucky that I am not going to tell Lord Gorran of your betrayal: I will not risk breaking the engagement." He growled coldly.

"Crane, please…" Tari's mother protested but Crane cut her off.

"Shut up, Naya! This does not concern you." He snapped. Naya did not persist, but stared meekly at the floor. Tari wished that her mother would do something. She didn't have to stay married to Crane, not like Tari was bound to Gorran, she could end the marriage and free Tari. They could live in a cottage, like the one they had lived in when Tari was a child. They wouldn't live in such comfort, but they'd be free. Free from Crane and Gorran. No such chance, though. Her mother was too scared of Crane. Tari hoped that she wouldn't end up like her mother. She hoped that she would retain some of her spirit, even if no one ever saw it.

Later, when Crane and her mother had retired to their temporary chambers and Gorran was gone, Tari made her way to the gardens. Crane had been her only hope of escaping Gorran and he hadn't shown her a shred of pity. She was trapped.

It was dark outside and the moon was full, like a huge silver pearl. Tari sank onto one of the stone benches and struggled to withhold her tears.


	6. Chapter 6

Hi readers. I hope you enjoy chapter 6.

Chapter 6

Loki strode through the gardens. He had endured training with Thor and Thor's friends, who never missed an opportunity to ridicule him. Everywhere he turned, it was Odin feeling that he wasn't good enough, Thor being the perfect son and everyone else in the palace who fawned over Thor and alienated Loki's magic and love of reading.

Loki spotted a slim figure hunched on a bench. He stepped closer, frowning. The figure looked up and Loki saw that it was Tari. She looked upset. Loki shook his head. He should just walk away. She obviously didn't want anything to do with him. However, he didn't want to just leave her there. He stepped closer.

"Are you alright?" he asked softly. Tari straightened.

"Oh, um… yes I'm fine." She stammered.

"Are you sure? Because in my experience, people who are fine don't usually sit alone in the dark looking sad." Loki retorted. Tari smiled wanly.

"No, honestly I'm fine. It's just that my mother is here and it's making me feel a little homesick. That's all." She paused for a moment. "Er… I don't know if you even noticed this, but I'm sorry that I've been so cold and distant lately. It's just that it's been difficult, moving from one pace to another, and I've been stressed." Loki nodded. It was good to have an explanation.

"That's fine, I understand." He said. Tari smiled.

"Thankyou. I have to go, but perhaps I'll see you in the library sometime?" she said, standing up. Loki nodded. Tari's smile widened and she walked hurriedly back to the palace. Loki smiled. Maybe he still had one person who accepted him.

.

Tari finally managed to escape from her mother and fled to take refuge in the library. Her mother was a nightmare, going on and on about how a lady was supposed to act and what a lady was supposed to wear. Tari couldn't concentrate on any of it, which was probably a blessing, because that sort of thing bored her out of her mind. She kept thinking back to last night. Perhaps it had been a moment of weakness that had caused her to reconcile with Loki, but she now knew to be careful. Gorran didn't go into the library, so if they stayed in there, Gorran wouldn't see them. If Tari was going to be stuck with Gorran for her entire life, which terrified her, she wouldn't do it without at least one friend. It looked like that friend was going to be Loki.

Tari pushed open the library door and walked to the back. She selected a book and sat in a chair to read. Eventually, she sensed movement in front of her. She looked up to see Loki sitting in the chair opposite her. She grinned.

"Hello." She said. Loki nodded at her.

"Hello. How are you?" he asked.

"I'm fine, mostly. My stepfather has been getting on my nerves though." Tari replied.

"In what way?" Loki asked.

"I just don't really like him." Tari didn't see any harm in telling Loki this. She hated having to watch what she said all the time.

"I have met him and I think I share your feelings." Loki said. Tari chuckled. "He's always so keen to get on my father's good side."

"Yes. All he cares about is power." Tari said quietly, the smile fading from her face. She saw Loki noting her expression and quickly brightened it. Loki was frowning but did not mention it.

"Would you like to come with me? I want to show you something." He said. Tari considered. Gorran was in a meeting for another couple of hours so he wouldn't see them. As long as she said goodbye to Loki by then, it would be fine.

"Er… alright." They stood and Loki led Tari through the palace and out into the gardens. The sun was setting slowly.

"How much further is it?" Tari asked.

"Not too far." Loki replied, smiling.

"Loki!" came a deep voice from behind them. Loki's face dulled and he rolled his eyes.

"Damn." He muttered. Tari glanced back to see Prince Thor and four people. One was a woman and the rest were men. All five were dressed in armour.

"Loki, where have you been? We have not seen you in ages!" Thor boomed.

"Perhaps that was intentional." Loki muttered under his breath. It was so quiet that Tari barely heard him. She frowned. She'd always thought that the two princes were close. She guessed not. "I've been busy." Loki said, shifting a little and looking uncomfortable. One of the men, the blond one, was grinning.

"And who is your lady friend?" he asked, one eyebrow raised. Tari felt her cheeks flush. Loki smirked.

"Lord Gorran's fiancé." He replied, looking amused when the blond man squirmed uncomfortably. Thor laughed loudly.

"Fandral!" he exclaimed and turned to Tari. "What is your name?" he asked.

"Tari." Tari said, slightly annoyed that he hadn't remembered her name from dinner a few weeks ago.

"It is good to meet you, Tari." Said a large man with a big red beard.

"May I introduce Volstagg, Hogun, Lady Sif and you have met Fandral." Thor said, beaming. Tari shifted uncomfortably, trying to smile politely.

"Yes, I'm sure Lady Tari is enchanted, but we have somewhere to be." Loki said somewhat sarcastically and began to walk away, indicating to Tari that she follow him. She did so, grateful to get away.

"Were they your brother's friends?" she asked when they were out of earshot.

"Yes. They are incredibly obnoxious people." Loki replied.

"They didn't seem THAT bad." Tari said.

"Just wait until you get to know them better." Loki smirked. "Come on, we're almost there." A green hill was ahead of them, the grass flickering in the breeze. Loki began to climb it, Tari close behind.

"So what makes these people so obnoxious?" she asked. There was a pause before Loki answered.

"They have difficulty accepting anyone who is not like them and does not share their interests." He said. "They have always made fun of me for who I am, which gives me little reason to like them." There was bitterness in Loki's eyes as he spoke and Tari guessed that this had always been a problem for him. It was true, he wasn't the image of what most people thought was the perfect male image, but was that such a bad thing? Most men who were considered to be so, in Tari's experience, weren't always very good people, like Gorran, Crane, Thor and his friends.

Loki and Tari reached the top of the hill and Tari's eyes were met by the sight of a huge silver lake spread out below them. The reflection of the scarlet sky and the golden sun danced and flickered on the surface of the water. It was beautiful.

"Wow." Tari breathed. Loki grinned.

"I thought you'd like it." He said softly. Tari felt a warm feeling in her chest and her heart beating faster. She frowned, but she knew what it was. She couldn't feel that way, not about Loki! Oh, Hel. No. No no no. This couldn't happen. She was engaged! This made things so much more complicated. She couldn't stop seeing Loki, not again. She had to suppress her feelings before they developed into something more. She had to.


	7. Chapter 7

Hi readers. Thank you draki k7, Slytherin Angel 00 and MyKidneysHateMe for following. I hope you enjoy chapter 7.

Chapter 7

Tari stared up at the ceiling. It was late but she could not sleep. Her mind was being plagued by her current situation. She was engaged to Gorran but she had feelings for Loki. Her attempts to shut down her feelings had failed miserably. She wasn't supposed to feel that way about anybody. Anyone other than Gorran was forbidden, and what kind of person would she be if she fell for the man who beat her? Tari sighed and turned over. She had met with Loki three times since the night by the lake. The first time she had been sure that she could shut down her feelings but had quickly been proved wrong. When Loki came close, her heart started racing, he made her smile and she wanted to spend every second of the day with him. She was hopeless. She rolled over again, unable to get comfortable. Her bones stuck out of her torso now, which didn't help. Tari had lost a lot of weight since she had met Gorran. It was the stress. Her skin was paler now too and there were dark circles under her eyes. She tossed and turned until dawn when she finally gave up on sleep. Tari slipped out of bed and quickly changed her clothes. Her mother and Crane were leaving today, and she couldn't say she was sorry. All she had really wanted to see them for was to try and get out of her engagement. It sounded awful but it was the truth. Tari left her chambers and stepped out into the corridor. No one was around at this hour. Tari wandered the corridors for a while, unsure of where to go. The library was locked at night and it was so cold at night. Still, she had never been bothered by the cold. Tari made her way outside, to the gardens. The early morning sky was so beautiful, swirls of gold, rose, azure and amber. It made Tari wish that she had her sketch book and paints with her.

She lost track of time while wandering the gardens. The sky gradually turned pale blue. Tari lost herself in her thoughts and almost didn't see Loki stepping out in front of her. She stopped abruptly, eyes wide.

"Loki! I-I didn't see you. What are you doing out here?" Tari asked.

"I could ask you the same question." Loki grinned. "I was restless and needed to get out of the palace." Tari nodded.

"Me too." She said, her heart racing. Loki was just a few inches from her. She felt her cheeks flush and shook her head slightly. She needed to stop being so stupid. Loki would never feel the same way about her, and even if he did, they could never be together. Ever.

Tari suddenly realised that she was supposed to say goodbye to her mother and Crane very soon.

"I have to go. My mother is leaving today and I have to say goodbye." Tari said hurriedly. Loki nodded.

"Perhaps I'll see you later?" he asked.

"Maybe." Tari said. "Goodbye." She hurried away to the front courtyard. Crane's carriage was waiting there and he and Tari's mother were making their way over. Tari waited fairly close to the carriage as her mother approached her. Naya looked pale and worried. She wrapped her arms around Tari in a warm embrace.

"I'm sorry, darling." Naya whispered softly, before releasing Tari. Tari squeezed her mother's hand. At least Naya cared, she was just too scared to do anything about it.

Tari watched as Naya and Crane climbed into the carriage. The carriage slowly drove away until it faded from sight. Tari turned away and was immediately met by the sight of Gorran standing a few metres away. She started but quickly recovered herself.

"My Lord." She greeted him. He simply stared at her with cold eyes before speaking.

"You will accompany me to lunch with Lord Varan at noon. I will fetch you." He announced in a steely voice. Tari sighed mentally. She hated these stiff, formal dinners.

"Yes, My Lord." She said meekly, hating herself for being so scared. She wished she could say, "No, I don't want to go. I don't want anything to do with you. Go and find someone your own age and leave me alone." Of course she didn't, she couldn't. Gorran left and Tari relaxed. She hadn't even realised she had tensed. By now, it was a natural reaction whenever Gorran was around.

It wasn't very long until noon, so Tari went to her chambers to change; Gorran always wanted her to look nice for social events. She was nothing more than a doll, a prop, an object for Gorran's amusement and for people to look at. Tari rifled through her wardrobe. Her fingers brushed a leather tunic and made her wish that she had the courage to put that on and leave her hair unkempt and wild and watch Gorran and this Lord Varan's faces when she walked in looking like a peasant girl. Of course, by birth, she _was_ a peasant girl. Tari sighed and pulled out a silk white dress and smoothed her hair into a neat braid. She didn't have the courage to risk Gorran's anger.

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Loki leaned back in his chair. He was with his parents and Thor. Thor was telling their mother a story of some mundane thing that had happened to him that day. Odin was sitting silently, deep in thought.

"Thor, Loki, have either of you thought about choosing a bride yet?" Odin suddenly questioned. Loki frowned.

"Um… no." he replied uncertainly. Thor shook his head.

"There is plenty of time for that yet, Father." He said.

"I don't know." Said Odin. "The time when I must give up the throne and one of you will be chosen to take it grows near. The next king will need heirs." Loki sighed. He didn't want to marry just for the sake of it. Most girls who would be considered suitable matches were silly idiots who bored Loki immensely. Of course there was an exception: Tari. But she was off limits; she was engaged to Gorran and besides, Loki wasn't even sure how he felt about her. Yes, there was something there but he had been forcing himself to feel nothing. Of course, it wasn't always effective.

"There will be no immediate need for heirs, Odin. I'm sure our sons will both find someone eventually." Frigga said softly, trying to change the subject. Loki nodded at her gratefully. Odin sighed but let the matter drop.

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That's all for today. I hope you enjoyed it. I will update by a week from Monday at the latest.

draki k7: I'm so glad you like it!


	8. Chapter 8

Hi readers. Look at me, posting early! I just found this chapter really easy to write. Thankyou SunMoonAndAllTheStars for following.

Chapter 8

Tari was silent for practically the entire meal. Lord Varan wasn't as bad as she had expected, and neither was his wife, but she never felt comfortable speaking in front of Gorran. She constantly felt his eyes on her but she tried to ignore it.

When the meal was over, Gorran escorted Tari back to her chambers. That made Tari nervous; whenever Gorran was in her chambers, it usually meant that he wanted to punish her. She didn't know what she'd done wrong. They reached Tari's chambers and Tari opened the door and walked in. Gorran was close behind. His eyes were filled with stony anger and his mouth was twisted into a snarl. Tari flinched away, her heart pounding with fear.

"You make it so obvious that you don't want to be with me! You sit there like a sullen cow, shaming me!" Gorran growled. His fist slammed into Tari's stomach and she doubled over, fighting back tears. Gorran delivered several more punches to Tari's ribs, each sending waves of pain through her body. Gorran left her crumpled on the floor.

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Tari was trapped. It was pitch black but she felt the walls pressing closer and closer, crushing her. She pushed back but it was futile. The walls wouldn't stop. She screamed and screamed until her throat burned and her voice was ragged, but no one came. Hot tears streamed from her eyes. She was going to die…

Tari woke with a short scream and sat bolt upright. She was breathing hard and her forehead was wet with sweat. It was a dream, just a dream. She blinked a few times before her mind registered the fact that her dresser was lying on the floor in two pieces. Tari frowned. That was odd, to say the very least. How in Hel could that have happened? The rest of the room was fine. Tari climbed out of bed, wincing from the fresh bruises that Gorran had given her last night. She approached the broken dresser and knelt beside it. It was splintered, which meant that it hadn't been cut. Great, Tari thought. That rules out the likely explanation that someone broke into my chambers without me noticing, and cut my dresser into two pieces for no apparent reason. She noticed a slight dent in the wall behind the broken dresser. She frowned. It looked like the dresser had been thrown against the wall. Who could have done that? An idea dawned in Tari's mind. Was it possible that she had? Could she have magic that would give her the ability to do that? She had heard of people discovering that they had magic very late in life, later than this. It was possible that Tari was one of those people. Her nightmare could have roused her protective instincts and therefore, her magic. Tari decided to test her theory. She placed one of her pillows on the floor in front of her. She raised her hand, palm facing the pillow. She had seen Loki do this. She concentrated hard, telling the pillow to move in her mind. She wasn't entirely sure that that was the correct approach, but it would have to do. The pillow shifted slightly. It wasn't much, but it was all the proof that Tari needed. This could be good. A weapon against Gorran in case he ever went too far. He wouldn't like it though. Tari needed to keep it secret or Gorran would never allow her magic to develop into something she could use. Perhaps Loki would teach her?

Tari dressed hurriedly and left her chambers. Loki was likely to be in the library. Tari now knew the way there like the back of her hand. She reached the library doors and pushed them open. Sure enough, Loki was sitting in one of the chairs, close to the back. Tari approached him. Loki looked up and smiled at her.

"Tari. How are you?" he asked. Tari sat down opposite him.

"I'm fine." She answered. She paused for a moment. Now was as good a time as any to ask. "I uh… I think I could have magic." She said, cursing herself for being so nervous around Loki. Loki straightened, looking interested.

"What kind? How did you find out?" Tari shifted a little.

"I uh… I had a nightmare last night and when I woke up, my dresser was in two pieces. I tried moving a pillow after that and it moved a little." Tari said. Loki nodded.

"It sounds like telekinesis. Can you show me now?" he asked. Tari nodded and Loki placed his book on the floor. "Try to move that." Tari held her hand up and focused on the book. Move, she urged it mentally. Come on, move! The book rose about half an inch before dropping back to the floor. Tari smiled triumphantly.

"Well, you definitely have it. You just need to learn how to use it." Loki said.

"Yes. Well, I was sort of hoping that you would show me. I know my magic is a different kind to yours but I thought perhaps there are some similar techniques…" Tari trailed off nervously. Loki nodded slowly.

"Yes, I'm sure I could teach you the basics and from there you'd be able to develop the magic yourself." He said thoughtfully. Tari smiled gratefully.

"Thankyou. There's just one thing… I don't want anyone to know about this. It's just that… my stepfather doesn't approve of magic and I'd rather word regarding this didn't reach him." Tari said. She hated lying to Loki but what was the alternative? Loki nodded.

"Alright, I understand." He said softly. "Shall we start this afternoon, by the lake?"

"Yes." Tari said. "I must go now, but thank you and I will see you this afternoon." She stood up.

"Goodbye." Said Loki.

"Bye." Tari said, turned and left the library.

.

That afternoon, Tari stood by the lake, waiting for Loki. Eventually, she noticed his head rising above the hill. She smiled as he approached her.

"Hello." She greeted him warmly. Loki nodded at her.

"Hello. Would you like to start?" he asked. Tari nodded. Loki picked up a small pebble and placed it on the ground in front of Tari. "We should start small." He said. "Try to levitate that." Tari knelt in front of the pebble and raised both hands. "Imagine very vividly what you want to happen, and keep that image in your mind." Loki instructed. Tari imagined the pebble rising slowly. Her brow creased into a frown and she glared at the pebble, willing it to move. Move, she thought. The pebble wobbled slightly but refused to rise. Tari huffed with frustration.

"Keep going." Loki encouraged. Tari turned her attention back to the pebble. She fixed the image in her mind and raised her hands again. Still nothing more than a wobble.

"Focus. Don't think about anything else." Loki murmured.

"I _am_ focusing." Tari muttered under her breath. Loki didn't hear her.

Eventually, Tari managed to make the pebble rise several inches, to her triumph. Loki nodded, satisfied.

"Good. I think that's enough for today; it's getting dark. Are you able to come and practise tomorrow?" he asked. Tari nodded. Gorran wouldn't come here, so any time would be fine.

"Good. Meet me at the same time tomorrow." Loki said.

"I will. Thank you for helping me." Tari said. Loki smiled at her.

"My pleasure."

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That's all for today. I was unsure whether to give Tari powers or not but I decided to because it will be very useful for future events. Anyway, please review, it keeps me motivated, and I will update by next Monday at the latest.


	9. Chapter 9

Hi readers. I hope you enjoy chapter 9.

Chapter 9

The pebble rose, shaking slightly, but still rising. Tari was smiling. This was the highest she'd ever gotten it. Loki had been coaching her for a week now. Sometimes it was distracting having him there, especially when Tari's heart started racing. However, Loki was so encouraging and helpful he more than made up for it. When she got frustrated that she couldn't do something, he always reminded her that it was normal to find magic difficult at first. It made Tari fall even further for him.

The pebble rose to about eight metres before Tari was straining to keep it up.

"Bring it down slowly; you need control as well as range." Loki instructed. Tari did so, straining a little, but it got easier the lower it got. It came to a rest on the ground in front of her.

"Good." Loki praised.

"Thankyou." Tari said, smiling shyly.

"I think that's enough for now; you look tired." Loki said. Tari nodded.

"I am. It's harder than it looks."

"I know." Loki said dryly. Tari made her way back to the palace on weak legs. The early stages of using magic were tiring. However, Tari was smiling; Gorran was leaving! He had informed her yesterday that he was going to Vanaheim on a diplomatic visit with the Allfather for a month. He left later this afternoon.

.

Loki watched Tari go, his treacherous heart yearning for her. Over the past week his feelings towards her had developed into something more than friendship. It was torture knowing that she could never be his; she was Gorran's. She was going to marry Gorran. He hated the fact that he was going to have to watch as Tari pledged herself to Gorran, as she lived her life with him, bore his children. Always there but just out of reach, just as she was now. She was almost the only person who had ever seen Loki for who he was and accepted him, who hadn't ridiculed the fact that Loki preferred to read instead of fight and would rather use magic instead of a hammer or an axe. And she was funny, clever and kind.

That afternoon, Loki watched as Odin and his lords rode away. He wondered if it was odd that he would not miss his father. He looked away and found Tari's auburn hair among the crowd. She was watching Gorran with a strange expression on her face. It looked like relief, but that couldn't be right. Loki went and stood beside her. Just because they couldn't be together it didn't mean they couldn't be friends.

"Would you like to go up to my chambers? I have much better books up there." Loki suggested. Tari flushed slightly but after a pause she nodded.

"Yes." She answered simply.

.

Loki led Tari through the maze of corridors to the royal quarters. He opened a door and let her inside. Tari had expected his chambers to be large and immaculate but actually they were roughly the same size as hers. The door led to a fairly small living space. A slightly faded green sofa was in the corner, beside a very large bookcase. An ink stained desk was next to the door.

"Please take a seat." Loki gestured to the sofa. Tari did so. "I think you would enjoy this." Loki said, pulling a small green book out of the bookcase and handing it to Tari. It was entitled "The Hobbit".

"It's a Midgardian story." Loki said. He sat beside her and opened a big red book. Tari began to read. It was a nice story and she quickly became engrossed in it.

About half way through, the book was whipped from her hands. Tari turned to see Loki holding it and grinning broadly at her.

"Loki!" she exclaimed in mock anger. She made a grab for the book but Loki sprang from the sofa and was across the room in a heartbeat, waving the book at her teasingly. Tari couldn't help but laugh as she chased after him. She caught up but Loki held the book above her head, laughing. For about the thousandth time in her life, Tari cursed her shortness. Alright, she thought. Time to fight fire with fire. She turned to the sofa, where Loki's red book was lying. She raised her hands and brought the book spinning towards was clumsy and inaccurate but she caught it. I knew that would be useful, she thought triumphantly.

"You little minx!" Loki exclaimed humorously as Tari darted across the room, clutching the book. Loki came after her, grinning. Tari flung open the door and raced out into the corridor. Loki followed her. She could hear his footsteps behind her and his shouts and laughs mingling with hers. For nearly the first time in weeks she was having fun and wasn't afraid or hurt. Gorran was completely banished from her mind.

Tari found herself hurtling towards the open door to the gardens. She sped out onto the emerald grass. Loki overtook her then, turned and seized her by the waist.

"Got you!" he grinned. Tari was breathless, partly from the running and partly from the closeness of their bodies and Loki's cool breath on her face. Their eyes were locked and Tari forgot that she wasn't supposed to do this, she wasn't supposed to feel. She just lost herself in Loki's vivid emerald eyes. She wished that they could stay like this forever.

"Tari, I…" Loki breathed softly but he was cut off by a loud booming voice.

"Brother!" came a voice from behind a cluster of trees. The spell was broken and Loki quickly let go of Tari and she stepped away, blushing. Valhalla… that had almost been a kiss. She couldn't let that happen. Ever.

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Loki sighed as his idiot brother approached. Still, perhaps it was a good thing; he had been about to tell Tari how he felt, he had been about to kiss her. He knew that was a bad idea but she had been right there in his arms and the temptation had been too much. They'd been happy in each other's company. He had made her laugh for nearly the first time since he'd met her, and she had made him happy.

"There you are, brother!" Thor greeted Loki jovially. "And the lovely Lady Tari." Loki rolled his eyes. Thor just couldn't leave girls alone. It wasn't as if Tari had shown the slightest bit of interest in him. Loki smiled at that, but it wasn't entirely in good humour. Tari was the only girl who had ever preferred him over his perfect brother and she happened to be engaged. Just his luck.

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That's all for today, I hope you enjoyed it. Please review and tell me what you think. Constructive criticism is welcome. I will update by next Wednesday at the latest.


	10. Chapter 10

Hi readers. Thankyou chyanne200 for following. I hope you guys enjoy chapter 10.

Chapter 10

Tari leaned against a tree, grinning. Loki had invited her for a ride in the forest and they were there now. It had been two days since their almost kiss and neither of them had mentioned it. Tari had no idea what to say about it and wanted to forget that it ever happened. It made things far too complicated and made it seem possible that Loki had feelings for her. That made the temptation far too strong and worsened her torment. It was torture to know that Gorran was the only thing that stood between her and Loki. To know that if it weren't for him, Tari could be happy.

.

Loki looked across at Tari. The smile had faded from her face and she looked distant and lonely. Lately, Loki had been wondering if she was happy in her engagement to Gorran. She never talked about him and, as far as Loki had seen, never spent her free time with him and instead spent it with Loki. Did girls in love with their betrothed spend all their time with other men? Did they let themselves get as close to other men as Tari and Loki had been two days ago? Loki didn't think so. He didn't think Tari was happy.

"How did you meet your fiancé?" he asked, breaking the silence. Tari looked startled.

"Er… my stepfather arranged it. It's an arranged engagement." She replied, shifting uncomfortably. That made sense of Loki's suspicions. If it was arranged, that probably meant that Tari hadn't have romantic feelings for Gorran. Arranged marriages weren't uncommon in Asgard but Loki didn't think that made them right. He recalled seeing her with Gorran. She never looked comfortable with him, sometimes she even looked… scared. And the relieved expression she wore when Gorran left two days ago… Loki wondered if this was just wishful thinking, his mind desperately trying to find ways for him and Tari to be together. But no… he hadn't imagined it, he was sure. It had been real. It all added up. Tari hated her fiancé. She was scared of him, and probably with reason, though Loki didn't want to think about that. Perhaps he could try to get Tari to tell him. Surely she trusted him by now?

"Do you love him?" Loki asked. Tari flushed and looked flustered.

"Well… I-I don't know. Not yet, but it's still early, there's plenty of time for that." She stammered nervously. Loki wasn't fooled.

"Tari, you know you can tell me anything. I'm your friend." He murmured.

"I know that, Loki, but there's nothing to tell you. My life is perfectly fine." Tari said softly but confidently. Loki let the matter drop, knowing that Tari wasn't going to tell him anything. Maybe he was wrong anyway. It was just that his instincts told him otherwise.

.

Tari thanked Valhalla that she'd become such a skilled liar since coming to live at the palace. It wasn't that she hadn't been tempted to tell Loki how unhappy she was. The temptation had been great but she had enough self-control not to give in to it. Now she knew that Loki was suspicious. Where did that leave her? She wasn't sure. She shook her head. She didn't want to think about Gorran now. This was supposed to be the time when she was free of him. She leaned back slightly but saw something that made her straighten. Gorran was standing by a tree, just behind Loki. His eyes were blazing with red hot rage. Cold fear spread through Tari's body and her eyes widened. Gorran had seen her with Loki. She backed away, shaking. Hel knew what he'd do to her now. Gorran suddenly began to flicker and faded, leaving Tari gaping. An illusion. Loki. Her eyes filled with tears. Loki was staring at her, stunned.

"You're… you're terrified of him." He breathed. Tari turned away, her stomach churning. Her fear tore at her like a wild animal. She could feel her magic reacting to her fear and beginning to push against the palms of her hands. Tari curled her hands into fists.

"Tari, I swear I didn't know how bad it was! If I had, I swear I would never have done that!" Loki said, his eyes looking at her pleadingly. Tari nodded slowly. She knew that. Loki would never intentionally hurt her, mentally or physically.

"I know." She said dully.

"Tari, you don't have to marry him! If Odin knew…"

"You can't tell anyone, Loki, please! Please, you don't know what they'd do!" Tari pleaded frantically.

"They? Who's they?" Loki asked, his face full of concern. He stepped forward and took one of Tari's hands in his own, looking intently at Tari.

"Gorran and Crane." Tari almost whispered, her head bowed.

"Tari, I'm not going to do anything if you don't want me to." Loki said softly. Tari nodded wordlessly. "But you have to promise me that you'll tell me if it gets too out of hand. I…I don't want anything to happen to you." Loki murmured, his eyes looking straight into Tari's. Tari fought not to burst into tears. Loki saw and wrapped his arms around her. Tari stiffened for a moment but then relaxed. Loki's arms were strong and made her feel safe.

"Promise me." Loki whispered softly.

"I will."

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That's it for today, I hope you enjoyed it. I will update by next Wednesday. Please review!


	11. Chapter 11

Hi readers. Thankyou Megolas Pendragon for favouriting and kathrynrose42 and Guest for reviewing. Sorry, this is right at the end of the deadline. I would have posted sooner but there were some issues with my computer. Anyway, I hope you enjoy chapter 11.

Chapter 11

Loki felt anger rising in his throat yet again. A day had passed since he had found out that Tari was unhappy with Gorran and Loki couldn't stop feeling angry. Gorran was hurting the girl he loved. Of course, Tari hadn't actually said that, but Loki wasn't an idiot. He had seen how terrified Tari had been when she had seen his illusion. Loki remembered the guilt he had felt when he had seen Tari's reaction. He had been expecting disappointment or annoyance, not terror.

Loki was on his way to meet Tari at the lake. He was going to help her with her magic. He began to climb the hill that hid the lake from view. When he reached the top, he saw that Tari was already there. She was sitting on a log on the bank of the lake. Her expression was blank and unreadable and her eyes were dull. Loki wondered if that was how she felt all the time and if she had just been acting to fool him before. He reached Tari and she turned to him.

"Good morning." She greeted him.

"Hello." Loki paused. "Are you… alright?" he asked cautiously. Tari sighed.

"Please don't start treating me like I'm made of glass now that you know. I'm still me." She said.

"Sorry." Loki said. "But can you blame me? You're my… my dearest friend and I don't want to see you hurt." Tari smiled at that, but it was half cynical.

"At least someone cares." She said bitterly. Loki was about to ask what she meant by that but Tari spoke before he could. "Shall we start?" she asked. Loki nodded.

"I think you can move on to moving larger objects now." He said. Tari nodded and pulled a large book out of her bag.

"Like this?" she asked, putting her head to one side. Loki nodded, smiling. Tari placed the book on the ground and raised her hands. The book began to rise.

Loki couldn't keep his mind from straying to what Gorran had done to Tari.

"Tari, I'm sorry, but… what exactly has Gorran done to you?" the book dropped to the ground and Tari began to fiddle with the fabric of her dress.

"I never said he hurt me." She muttered.

"You didn't have to. It's fairly obvious that Gorran is exactly the kind of man who would hurt someone just for the sake of it. And who would be a better target than you?" Loki said. "Please tell me."

"Why?" Tari asked plaintively.

"I want to know how bad it is." Loki replied. Tari sighed.

"Alright. He… he has beaten me several times on my stomach and back and he sprained my wrist." She said quietly. This simple sentence was enough to make ice cold anger spread through Loki's body. He wanted to smash Gorran to pieces for hurting the girl he loved.

"What kind of man does that?" Loki seethed to himself but Tari heard him.

"A sadist." She muttered bitterly, her eyes like dark stones set in her head. Her fists were clenched and her knuckles were white. She made a sudden sweeping movement with one arm and the book she had been practising on went flying. Loki frowned but then realised that her magic must be fuelled by emotion. That was why it was harder for her in lessons because her magic wasn't reacting to emotion.

Loki hated seeing Tari like this. Her face was like stone, hard and unforgiving. He hated seeing her this way.

.

Tari was trying to stay calm, but the anger and the fear were welling up again. Loki was watching her. Tari knew he was just trying to help but she had kept her feelings and the truth bottled up for so long that it felt wrong to speak them. And when she did, her hatred and anger for Gorran intensified until Tari thought they would spill out of her like lava. That scared her, how intensely she felt things all of a sudden. For weeks she'd just felt numb, like she was frozen inside.

"I hate him." She half whispered, half sobbed.

"I hate him too. Because he hurt you." Loki murmured, reaching out to take Tari's hand. This simple gesture touched Tari and made her heart beat faster at the contact.

"You're… you're a good friend, Loki." She whispered. Loki smiled at that but something in his eyes showed that he was not entirely pleased. However, he hid it quickly with a grin.

"Come on." He said, pulling Tari closer to the lake. Tari couldn't help but smile.

"Where are we going?" she asked.

"They keep boats around here." Loki said. Just below the bank of the lake was a fairly small rowing boat, floating on the surface of the water. Loki stepped in nimbly and then held his hand out to Tari. Tari stood still, doubtful.

"Are we supposed to take this?" she asked doubtfully. Loki shrugged.

"Who cares?" he said, his eyes glittering. Tari took his hand and stepped in. she was sick of constantly wondering if she was allowed to do something. This was just a small thing, she shouldn't be worrying. She sat on one of the benches that went across the boat and Loki picked up the oars.

"Wait, I want to try something." Tari said. She held up her hands and faced them towards the bank. The boat began to move forwards. Loki grinned.

"I think that counts as a lesson for today." He said. The boat continued to move until it reached the centre of the lake. It was peaceful, the only sound was the rippling water splashing against the boat. If Tari could stay on that boat with Loki forever, she would.

"I wish that Gorran never comes back." She murmured. Loki nodded.

"I do too. You don't deserve how he treats you." He said. Tari smiled wanly. She hated that Loki was right in front of her but a life with him was just out of reach. He was the one she wanted; the one who cared about her, made her laugh, who wanted her to be happy and made her happy just by being there. Not the one who saw her as an object and beat her.

.

That's all for today, I hope you enjoyed it. I will update by next Wednesday. Please review!

Kathrynrose42- Thank you for your review! Yeah, her situation is probably my worst nightmare. Thank you for your support!

Guest- sorry, I don't speak much Spanish but thanks for your positive review, I really appreciate it.


	12. Chapter 12

Hi readers. Thankyou kathrynrose42 for reviewing. I hope you guys enjoy chapter 12.

Chapter 12

Over the next few weeks, Tari and Loki became inseparable. They went for more rides in the forest, sometimes taking food and books that they ate and read in a clearing. They read frequently in the library or one of their chambers. Tari had managed to keep her resolution of no physical contact but her feelings for Loki grew stronger every day. She almost wanted to tell him how she felt, to see if he felt the same, but she knew how complicated that would make things. It was better left unspoken.

The day of Gorran's return grew closer and Tari got more and more nervous. Those last few weeks had been so wonderful. She hadn't been scared all the time and she had stopped looking skeletal, her eyes had stopped looking sunken and she had laughed again, she had been happy… with Loki. And now Gorran was coming back and he was going to snatch away the happiness and the laughter and how safe Tari felt and return the fear, pain and Tari's doomed future.

Tari stood in the gardens, the almost full moon shining overhead. This was almost the last night before Gorran returned. Tari was scared.

"It's a beautiful night, isn't it?" came a smooth, cool voice from behind her. Tari turned to Loki, grinning.

"You really must stop sneaking up on me like that?" she scolded, but she was smiling, as she always did when Loki was around.

"You know I can't do that." Loki teased but his face became serious soon after. "Tari, I… you mean so much to me. You know that, don't you?" he murmured, his eyes looking straight into Tari's, filled with something that was almost sadness and something fierce, something intense. Tari's insides felt like they were melting, her heart was racing and heat flooded her cheeks.

"I-I love you, Tari." Loki said softly. Tari couldn't say anything. She just let Loki's kiss take her. It felt… it felt like she was flying. That was the only way to describe it. Tari was free. The kiss was fierce, urgent, as if they were drowning and needed each other to breathe. Loki's arms were around Tari's waist, her hands tangled in his hair, their bodies pressed against each other. The kiss slowed and became tender and loving. Tari's knees went weak and she sighed against Loki's lips. They broke away, both breathing hard. Tari allowed Loki to keep his arms around her. She liked the feeling of safety it gave her.

"Loki, I…"

"I know how you must be feeling." Loki whispered. "I just felt that I had to tell you. I couldn't bear the thought of you never knowing."

"I feel the same about you. I love you so much, but… Loki, we can't! nothing can ever come of this, I have to marry Gorran." Tari said shakily, avoiding Loki's gaze. Loki put a hand under her chin and gently lifted it so that she had to look at him.

"We'll figure something out, Tari. I don't know what, but I promise that we will and I'm not going to let you marry Gorran. And I don't break my promises." Tari couldn't help but believe him. She trusted him. Loki kissed her again, gently and slowly. Tari lost herself in the kiss, forgetting everything but herself and Loki. When they broke apart, Loki was grinning.

"I can't believe it." He whispered, cupping Tari's chin. He sighed. "I have to go, but can I meet you by the forest tomorrow morning? It's the last day before… Gorran." Tari nodded.

"I'll see you tomorrow." She said and Loki kissed her tenderly on her forehead before departing. Tari made her way back to her chambers, smiling all the way.

.

Loki was waiting for Tari on the outskirts of the forest. His mind was buzzing with memories of last night. It had been a leap of faith to tell Tari how he felt about her, but it had gone well. Very well. To hear that Tari loved him back… it was the best thing he would ever hear. He kept playing it over and over in his head, smiling every time. The only problem was Gorran. That wasn't going to go away. Loki had no idea what they were going to do about Gorran. He wasn't going to give Tari up any time soon and Tari's stepfather wasn't going to release her from her engagement either. Loki had thought of Tari going to Odin to tell him of Gorran's abuse, but then she would go back to her stepfather. According to Tari, he was almost as bad as Gorran and would punish her severely for ending the engagement. Loki could go to Crane and ask for Tari's hand but he would likely be denied; Crane would gain nothing from their union. Tari would not favour him and neither Loki or Odin would grant him any privileges such as money, land or protection. Gorran was a powerful political figure and could give Crane all of these things illegally. If Crane ever got into trouble, Gorran would be able to pull a few strings and get him out of it. Odin would not do so, as it wouldn't be honourable and Loki wouldn't because he hated him. Loki sighed and shifted on the spot. They had to think of something. Tari couldn't marry that man.

Loki was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't notice Tari until she was right next to him.

"Loki?" she murmured questioningly. Loki blinked.

"Tari." He smiled and bent to kiss her forehead. She stiffened slightly but relaxed against his touch.

"Come on." Said Loki. They headed deeper into the forest, where no one would see them. They walked in silence for a few minutes until Tari began to speak.

"Loki… this is a mess. I-I want to be with you but… Gorran. He's never going to let me go." Tari's voice was choked with emotion. Loki slipped an arm around her waist.

"I know. I've thought about all the options. We'll think of something. We've got to." He murmured. Tari leaned into him and rested her head on his shoulder.

"Until then, we'll have to be very, very careful." She said. Loki smiled. At least, for now, they had each other.

.

That's all for today, I hope you liked it. I will update by next Saturday. Please review!

Kathrynrose42- Thanks! That's what I was going for, so it's good to hear it came across that way. .


	13. Chapter 13

Hi guys. Thankyou hiphop1chick1 and sarahmichellegellarfan1 for following/favouriting/reviewing. I hope you enjoy chapter 13.

Chapter 13

Tari bit her lip. She was waiting by the end of the rainbow bridge for Gorran to return. She was trying not to show her true emotions, but it was difficult; they were so strong. They were made worse by the fact that Loki had just arrived. He did not approach her because the Allmother, Prince Thor and various other people had gathered to greet the Allfather and the lords who had accompanied him.

Tari knew that a relationship with Loki was insane and incredibly risky but she couldn't help herself. She also knew that it made her unfaithful, but she could live with that. She didn't _want_ to be faithful to Gorran. What would her life be like if Gorran was the only one in it? She supposed that the short answer was Hel. Tari noticed light and movement at the end of the rainbow bridge. The Bifrost was spinning and a bright beam of white light was shining to the left. The Allfather and the lords were coming. This was the closest Tari had ever been to the legendary Bifrost. Under any other circumstances she would have been excited and in awe, but the Bifrost was bringing back Gorran. Tari forced a pretty smile onto her face as the small procession left the Bifrost. She could see Gorran just behind the Allfather. His face was grim and thunderous. Tari tried her best to keep her fear off her face. The procession grew closer and the men dismounted their horses. Gorran approached Tari and put a hand on her shoulder.

"Come." He ordered and Tari followed him meekly. She glanced over her shoulder as she left and saw Loki gazing after her.

* * *

Loki bit down on his anger. He hated seeing Tari with Gorran. He hated seeing how Gorran ordered Tari around and treated her like property. He hated that Tari was forced to obey him.

There was to be a celebration tonight, to celebrate the Allfather's return. Loki didn't feel like celebrating. He didn't care for his father overly much and his days with Tari had come to an end. Loki stalked from the rainbow bridge, back to the palace. He was supposed to train for combat today. He didn't want to but he didn't have very much choice. He had missed it far too many times in the past month and Thor had already begun to tease him about having a mystery lady love. If Thor saw him with Tari too many times after that, even his tiny brain would put two and two together. To put it mildly; that would be bad.

Loki reached the training rings and spotted Sif, Hogun and Fandral sparring in one in the corner. Fandral looked over at Loki.

"I see you've finally decided to join us." He remarked. Loki rolled his eyes and stalked over to the weapons rack. He pulled out a pair of knives and turned to the trio behind him.

"Shall we start then?" he asked, putting his head to one side. He would like to beat them. Of course, he knew that they wouldn't take it seriously if he used his magic but seeing Tari with Gorran made Loki want to hit something. Fandral stepped forward.

"I'll beat you this time, Loki." He declared.

"Oh, I doubt that." Loki sneered. Fandral raised his sword and approached Loki. Loki held his knives in front of his body. Fandral lunged for Loki's stomach. Loki parried the blow and cut at Fandral's side. Fandral dodged. Loki waved his hand and a copy of himself appeared beside Fandral. Fandral looked between the two, unsure which was the real Loki. Loki smirked. He was so easy to confuse. Now that Fandral was disorientated. Several more copies of Loki appeared. The real Loki stepped forward and pressed the tip of his knife against Fandral's neck. Fandral glared at him.

"That was hardly honourable." He ground out.

"So what? If it allows me to win, why shouldn't I use it?" Loki said irritably.

"Loki your tricks are nothing more than that: tricks. Using them in battle is dishonest." Sif growled. Loki rolled his eyes. Sif had always hated him. Especially after he had turned her hair black when they were children. She had said that he didn't look like an Asgardian because of his black hair. She had said that he looked like a Frost Giant so he had changed her hair while she was sleeping. He remembered how angry she had been when she had woken up. The memory still made him smile.

"There are no rules in battle." Loki said venomously. "But if my skills are so unworthy, why don't you see if you can beat them, Sif?"

* * *

Tari sighed. She was at the dance and she was thoroughly miserable. The festivities were merry enough but Tari could not bring her mood to match the one of the room. Gorran was always close, stalking her like he was a wolf and she was a deer. His presence made Tari nervous and jumpy. It didn't help that Loki was always at the edge of her vision. She kept catching glimpses of green fabric here, a flash of black hair there. Tari had to force herself not to look at him. It was difficult. She had been forced to dance with Gorran several times. It was uncomfortable to be so close to him. He was like a metal cage around her, confining her. Tari had grown so used to freedom that the new contrast was shocking. The freedom and the confinement, the joy and the sadness. It was hard to adjust but Tari didn't want to anyway. She looked around. Gorran was nowhere in sight. _Good_ , Tari thought. There was movement at her side and she looked over. Loki was there. He was not looking at her and he stood a respectful distance away, presumably to keep up appearances.

"Do you think it would be out of line if I asked you for a dance?" he asked, still not looking at Tari.

"For me: no. for Gorran: yes." Tari replied. If Gorran walked and saw her dancing with Loki… there was no telling what he'd do. Loki smiled mischievously.

But what if it wasn't you that Gorran saw?" he said, his eyes glinting.

"What do you mean?" Tari asked. Loki waved his hand and Tari's red hair turned gold and her green dress became blue. "He won't recognise you at a glance and why would he give you more than that?" Loki said. Tari grinned and Loki offered her his hand. "A dance, My Lady?"

"I'd be delighted. Your Highness." Tari said and took Loki's hand.

* * *

That's all for now, I hope you enjoyed it. Stupid Gorran for coming back! I will update by next Thursday. Please review!

Sarahmichellegellarfan1- glad you like it!


	14. Chapter 14

Hi guys. Thankyou kathrynrose42, sarahmichellegellarfan1 and Guest for reviewing. This chapter takes place two months after the last one. I hope you enjoy it!

Chapter 14

Tari cowered away from Gorran's fists, her heart pounding in her chest. She stepped back, trying to avoid Gorran's fist. Instead, it hit her cheek. Gorran's face twisted with anger and he pushed Tari backwards before storming out. Tari stumbled but didn't fall. She stared after Gorran, glaring fiercely. She hadn't cried this time. She hadn't fallen either. That gave her satisfaction; she hadn't broken. She was getting stronger, perhaps. Braver.

Tari turned to her mirror. Her cheek was beginning to bruise. There wasn't much she could do about that and she was supposed to meet Loki in a few minutes. She pulled her hair forward, so that it covered part of her cheek. That would have to do. It wasn't like she still had to hide Gorran's abuse from Loki, anyway. She opened the door and began to make her way to the lake. It was fairly early in the morning, so not many people were around.

Loki was already at the lake when Tari arrived. He smiled when he saw her but his face fell when he saw the bruise on her face. He brushed Tari's hair out of the way.

"Did he do this to you?" he demanded, his voice bitter with barely contained anger.

"Yes. He did." Tari replied quietly. She could see how angry Loki was, and she knew that she never wanted to be the person Loki was angry with; he could be formidable when he wanted to be. He had that savageness. Tari hoped that he wouldn't do or say anything to Gorran.

"You already knew that he does this." She murmured.

"That doesn't mean that it doesn't anger me. I hate seeing you hurt." Loki said, taking Tari's hand. Tari, for the first time, noticed how cold his skin was. However, that thought was forgotten almost immediately when Loki pressed a kiss to Tari's lips. "Come on." He said. They began to walk around the lake, towards the emerald hills that arose from the forest.

They sat atop a hill, the sun bathing them in golden light. Tari could see the palace from there, and the city on the other side. It all shone gold in the sunlight. Despite the beauty in front of her, Tari's gaze was drawn to the green countryside on the horizon, where she had lived as a child. She missed the cottage she had lived in with her parents and she missed the three cows that had lived in a field just outside. She missed the children she had played with: two older boys and a girl her age. She had never seen them again after her mother had gotten engaged to Crane. Although his huge manor house wasn't very far away from Tari's old cottage, Crane had kept her inside, away from everyone. The only company she'd had was the servants and her governess who Crane had paid to teach her manners and how to behave as a lady should. Tari had never really spoken with any other children. She had amused herself with books and had pretended to herself that the characters were her friends. She remembered seeing other children out of her bedroom window and how she had envied their freedom. Tari stirred herself from her daydream. It was useless to think about the past. It wouldn't improve her present and future.

She sensed that Loki wasn't happy; his eyes were dull and his expression was far away.

"What troubles you?" Tari asked quietly. Loki sighed.

"Do you ever feel like you aren't good enough? Like everyone is judging you?" he murmured. Tari frowned. Did he feel that way?

"No. But you do, don't you?" she said softly. Loki nodded.

"I've never been good enough for… well, anyone really. My father wishes I was more like Thor. I think everyone does. I try not to care, but it's difficult when you feel like everyone wishes that you were someone else." His voice was vulnerable and lost. It made Tari want to cry. She couldn't imagine feeling that way, didn't want to imagine it.

"I don't wish that. I'd never want you to change, Loki. You're the best person I know and the only person who has shown me any kindness since I got here. You're the person I care about most in the nine realms." Tari said, trying to reassure him. Loki smiled wanly and pulled her closer.

"At least I have you." He said fondly. There was a pause.

"Thor's a stupid oaf anyway." Tari said and Loki chuckled.

"You could say that." He said. Tari smiled. They sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes before Loki began to speak.

"I should tell you- it is likely that I will have to go to Muspelheim. The fire demons are rebelling and we may have to go into battle." He said in a low voice. Fear spread through Tari's body. Fear of losing Loki. So many died in battle- he could too. Tari bit her lip, her heart heavy in her chest.

"Tari?" Loki asked, looking concerned. Tari realised that she had not spoken in a little while.

"I'll worry about you." She murmured.

"I'll be fine, Love. I've been in several battles before; I've always been fine."

"That doesn't mean I won't worry. I don't want to lose you." Tari said softly.

"I know, Love, but I promise you that I'll be fine. And so will you. Gorran will be coming too." Tari could barely register the last two sentences. Losing Loki would be the worst thing possible and there was no way he could know that it wouldn't happen.

"I'd rather you both stayed than you both went." Tari said.

"I'll be back before you know it. I promise." Loki reassured her.

"I'm going to miss you." Tari murmured. Loki pulled her closer. There was a long pause.

"Tari… you mean the world to me. I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you, so… will you marry me?" Tari felt a brief rush of joy before reality came crashing back.

"Loki, I'm engaged to Gorran- "she began but Loki cut her off.

"You're not going to marry him, we're going to find a way, I promise." His eyes were full of such sincerity that Tari had to believe him. She had full faith in him. "Marry me." Loki repeated.

"I will." Tari said, smiling joyfully. As Loki slipped the ring onto her finger she truly began to believe that they would find a way to end her engagement to Gorran, that a life with Loki was possible.

* * *

Tari stood, once again, at the end of the Rainbow Bridge. She was officially here to say goodbye to Gorran, but it was Loki she was truly there for. She was still worried for him, but his proposal had ignited new hope in her heart. As Loki rode away, he looked back at Tari, a hint of a smile lighting up his face. Tari just had to hope that he would be alright.

* * *

That's all for today, I hope you guys liked it! I will update by next Wednesday. Please review!

Kathrynrose42- Yay, you ship… whatever their ship name is. I'm glad you liked it!

Sarahmichellegellarfan1- Thanks!

Guest- Sorry, I don't speak very much Spanish but thank you very much for your review!


	15. Chapter 15

Hi guys! Thankyou Loki'd-into-oblivion and vampireloki for following/favouriting and Guest Demi and .2016 for reviewing. I hope you all enjoy this chapter!

Chapter 15

Tari was thoroughly miserable. Loki had been gone for three days now and she couldn't stop worrying. Every moment was torture; images of Loki dead or bleeding constantly flashed in her mind. Tari tried to distract herself but it was futile.

She was sitting in the huge dining hall, alone. Some girls kept looking at her with pitying expressions on their faces. Tari could only pick at her food; she had completely lost her appetite. She kept twisting the ring that Loki had given her around her finger. It was silver with a deep green gemstone set in it. It was the most precious thing Tari had ever owned, in more ways than one. She stood up from her seat and walked from the dining hall.

* * *

Loki straightened wearily on his horse's back. They had been riding for days and it was so damned hot here. The heat was almost unbearable and Loki felt as if he could melt at any second. The entire ground was hard, cracked, almost black rock. Tiny springs of glowing gold and crimson lava bubbled from beneath the ground and the sky was clouded by dark grey smoke. It was one of the grimmest places Loki had ever been to. He wished he was back with Tari, by the lake, in the forest, on the hills. He wished he had Tari in his arms. He looked ahead to Odin and Thor. Thor had just made some jest and Odin was laughing lightly. Loki scowled. These days, everything Thor did irritated him.

Suddenly, a gargled, angry cry filled the air. Loki froze and Odin shouted orders to halt. A swarm of red and black poured around a mountain a few hundred metres to the army's right. The fire demons. There was thousands of them. Fear hit Loki like an axe in the chest. The fire demons were moving towards the Asgardian army as fast as a giant wave of water.

"Hold you ground!" Odin yelled a command. Loki drew his knives, never taking his eyes off the oncoming swarm. He braced himself as it drew closer. His heart thundered in his chest. The Muspelheim army hit the Asgardian one like stone against iron; neither would give in. Loki cut at the demons below him. Several came into contact with his knives and fell dead. Loki's horse gave him a good height and made him harder to reach, but it also made it awkward, having to bend down to to kill the demons. Loki made his decision and leapt from his horse to face the beasts.

* * *

A week later

Tari sat in her chambers, reading. Worry still gnawed at her insides. Where was Loki now? Was he still alive? Was he injured? There was a rapid knock at the door.

"Yes?" Tari called. The door flew open and a servant walked in.

"The Allfather is back, Lady!" the servant proclaimed excitedly.

"And my betrothed?" Tari asked. While most of her thoughts had been of Loki, she hadn't been able to help hoping that Gorran would be slain in battle.

"I don't know, Lady, but you must come quickly!" the servant urged her. Tari did not need much prompting. She practically threw her book down and rushed after the servant. Her fists were clenched with worry. If she arrived at the Rainbow Bridge and Loki wasn't among the survivors, she knew that she would break down. Life without Loki would be unbearable.

They reached the Rainbow Bridge and Tari Looked around desperately for Loki. Instead, she saw Gorran. Her heart sank. He was not even injured, just dirty with a few small cuts. Tari looked away from him and eventually spotted a head of black hair. Her heart leapt with relief but what she saw next had it spiralling back down. It was Loki and yes, he was alive, but barely. There was a gaping crimson hole in his stomach and he was half conscious, having to be held up by Thor and Fandral. Tari's heart beat wildly and her hands shook. She felt her eyes widen out of horror and fear. She couldn't move. Thor and Fandral were taking Loki across the rainbow bridge as fast as they could. _They need to go faster_ , Tari thought. Loki was bleeding heavily; he could bleed out very soon. He needed to get to Eir, and fast. Thor and Fandral brought Loki passed her. Even in his half-conscious state, Loki glanced at her. Tari couldn't read his expression. He then threw his head back, teeth gritted in pain. Tears pricked the backs of Tari's eyes. She heard voices behind her.

"How did this happen?" it was the voice of the Allmother, she sounded tense and worried.

"We defeated the Muspelheim army and we had turned back when we were ambushed by another army, a larger one. We didn't expect it and we were unprepared. We managed to defeat them but… the cost was great." Came the calm voice of the Allfather. He didn't sound worried at all. Surely he felt something; his son was close to death!

Tari felt a presence beside her and turned. Gorran was there, his ice blue eyes watching her coldly. Tari shrunk back a little. He was the last person she wanted to see.

"You seem very distressed for the prince." Gorran remarked, his voice laced with anger.

"I-I've never seen wounds so… horrific." Tari said shakily. It wasn't really a lie, just an omission of the truth. Gorran frowned but said no more on the subject.

"We must return to the palace." He said, and pulled Tari after him. Tari was oblivious to anything that happened around her. All she felt was fear for Loki. All she could think of was if he still lived or if the life had bled out of him. Gorran dropped her off at her chambers. That was when Tari finally allowed her tears to fall. She lay sobbing on her bed for what felt like hours. Eventually, when it seemed that she could cry no more, she sat up and dried her tears. Sitting here and worrying wasn't going to do any good. She needed to see Loki, needed to know if he was alright. She needed to go to the healing wing. She couldn't go now; people would see and Gorran would find out. She'd go after nightfall.

* * *

Tari stepped cautiously out of her chambers. No one was around; it was close to midnight. She wouldn't be seen. She padded quietly through the corridors, flinching at every creak of the floorboards. She knew very vaguely where the healing wing was, but she was sure she could find it. Eventually, she reached the big white doors that led to the healing wing. Tari opened one as quietly as she could, and stepped inside. She was now in a gold and white, curved corridor. She turned a corner and saw the small platform that was the soulforge. She carried on until the corridor was lined with dark oak doors. They almost all had signs on them. Tari kept walking until she saw one that said: Prince Loki. Tari allowed a small smile to grace her lips. That had to mean that Loki was alive and in there. Tari twisted the door handle and silently crept inside. It was a small room that only contained a bed and a small cabinet. Tari could make out Loki's face. His eyes were open.

"Tari? What are you doing here?" he asked weakly.

"I had to see if you were alright. I saw you on the Rainbow Bridge… I was so worried." Tari explained quietly.

"Oh, Love…" Loki murmured fondly. "You mustn't worry; it'll take more than a sword in the stomach to bring me down." Tari laughed briefly and softly.

"It must be hurting you." She said.

"A little, but they've forced so many pain killing brews and herbs down my throat that it's not that bad." Loki reassured her. "Everything's going to be fine. I swear." Tari smiled at him.

"I-I should go before someone comes." She said.

"Alright, Love. I'll be out of here soon enough. I'll see you then." Loki said. Tari nodded and headed towards the door. "Tari?" Loki called after her. She looked back. "I missed you." Loki said softly. Tari smiled.

"I missed you too." She murmured and slipped out, her heart a lot lighter than when she had come in. Loki was going to be alright.

* * *

That's all for now, I hope you liked it! I will update by next Sunday. Please review!

.2016- I'm glad you thought it was cute!

Demi- I'm so glad you love it, that's really good to hear! Thanks for such a nice review!


	16. Chapter 16

Hey guys! Thank you to wizelf, MissCouette and Alexa Wayne for following/favouriting and kathrynrose42 and .2016 for reviewing. I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

* * *

Chapter 16

A fortnight passed and Loki slowly began to heal. He still moved stiffly and the wound still hurt but he could get out of bed and move now. He'd gotten so tired of lying in bed all day and night, doing absolutely nothing and feeling nothing but pain and boredom.

He was by the lake with Tari. It was late afternoon and the sun was low in the sky. Tari looked thoughtful.

"How… how did your injury happen?" she asked softly. This was the first time they had seen each other since Tari had snuck into the healing wing to see him. Loki had missed her.

"Thor and I were fighting a group of fire demons, a large one. We were barely holding them off. Thor saw Sif fighting against another two and went to help her, leaving me alone." Loki scowled at the memory. Thor had _known_ that the two of them could barely handle the group and he'd gone anyway. Sif had been fine; she could handle a couple of fire demons. "There were too many of them for me on my own, for anyone on their own. One of them managed to put a sword through my back. They left me to bleed out after that." Loki could remember that so well. He had lain there on the hard rock floor, his blood pooling around him, certain that he was going to die. But someone had found him and he had been put on a horse. The next thing he'd known, he was on the Rainbow Bridge. The shock had been over then and the pain had been the worst Loki had ever felt. He remembered seeing Tari. He hadn't been sure she wasn't a hallucination until she had mentioned it later. Tari moved closer to him, looking pained. She didn't say anything; she didn't need to. Loki could tell from her expression how she felt and what she was thinking. Loki wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her closer. She was very thin. Too thin. Loki knew by now that Tari stopped eating when she was nervous or upset or scared. It was just something that she did. He wondered if he should say anything but decided against it. Now that he was back, she'd eat again. At least he hoped so.

* * *

Tari closed her eyes, relaxing against Loki's shoulder. It was only like this that she felt content and felt safe. These days she didn't feel right. She couldn't describe how it felt. It was like her emotions were stronger and more vivid and even overwhelming. Memories of Gorran from yesterday evening flashed inside her mind. The names he had called her: scum, worthless, whore and worse. It was strange; even after the amount of times he had hurt her physically, it was the words that made her doubt herself most. The more times he said them, the more Tari began to believe they were true. At night she replayed the words in her head, trying to figure out what caused Gorran to say them. There had to be a reason, didn't there? What had she done? There was a tiny voice in the back of her head telling her that she wasn't those things, that this was what Gorran wanted, but Tari couldn't stop worrying.

"What's wrong?" Loki asked softly. Tari shook her head.

"Nothing." She said. Loki smirked slightly.

"Tari… I am the God of Lies. Do not think you can deceive me." He said mirthfully, but his voice was laced with concern. "What is wrong?" Tari knew that he wouldn't let it go until she told him.

"I-I was just thinking about Gorran. I'm not sure I can stand it anymore. I hate him." She said quietly but bitterly.

"I know, Love. I know. We're going to find a way, I swear. Just hold on a bit longer." Loki tried to reassure her but Tari wasn't sure she could believe anymore. There was no way out. "Tari, I know you. I know you must be losing hope, but you must trust me. We're going to find a way to deal with Gorran. You and I will marry. We'll have children. And one day, my father will be too old to rule. I think even he must know how awful a king Thor would be, so I'll be his successor. We'll be king and queen and no one will be able to touch us. You won't have to worry about Crane. Thor will never be able to look down on me again and you'll have the power to get your mother away from Crane. He'll have to bow to you." Loki said. When he said things like this, he was so convincing that Tari started believing. That future was possible, just out of reach. If it became reality, she'd be safe from everyone who'd ever been a threat to her. They would have to respect her. She'd live and rule at Loki's side. The only thing in the way was Gorran. Tari's hand curled into a fist. The burning hatred she felt for him flared into a flaming, roaring fire. It was always him, stopping her from being happy, keeping her prisoner, keeping her from a life with the one she loved. Why didn't she do something? Because she was weak and frightened. She knew that and hated herself for it. But no longer. She was going to put an end to Gorran's cruelty.

That night, at dinner, she stole a sharp knife.

* * *

Dun dun daaaa! I hope you enjoyed it! I will update by next Sunday. Please review!

.2016- Thanks!

Kathrynrose42- sorry for doing that to you, but that's part of the fun of writing, don't you think? Thanks for such a nice review!


	17. Chapter 17

Hi guys! Thankyou sailorice95, .2016, kathrynrose42, Loki's best friend and Dragonflygirlz1 for following/favouriting/reviewing. I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 17

The original plan was to find Gorran and kill him, but when Tari was lying in bed that night, she started having doubts. She didn't think she could kill someone in cold blood. After a long internal battle between hatred and morality, Tari decided that the knife would be used in self-defence. If Gorran tried to hurt her again, she would use it.

She sat in the forest with Loki next to her. She had the knife up her sleeve, ready to be used if necessary. The thing was, she knew for a fact that Gorran was going to hurt her again, so she knew that she was going to kill him. It was just a matter of time.

Loki put an arm around her and pulled her closer. He had no idea what was going on inside her mind. Tari wondered what he would do and say if he did.

"Are you alright, Love?" Loki asked. "You seem very distracted." Tari nodded.

"I'm fine. I was just thinking." She murmured softly. Loki nodded, reassured. There was a pause.

"I love you." Loki said, bringing a soft smile to Tari's lips.

"I love you too." She said. She heard a heavy footstep and a twig snap behind them. She started and turned, her heart racing. Behind them stood the man she hated most in all the nine realms.

"You unfaithful bitch!" he snarled and reached to grab her arm. Heart pounding, Tari scrambled away from him and stumbled to her feet, her eyes wide with fear. Loki stood too, his hands on his knives. Gorran turned to him. "I don't care if you are the prince… I'm going to gut you for this." He said in a dangerously low voice. Loki drew his knives, never taking his eyes off Gorran. Tari knew that the wound Loki had received from the fire demons still pained him and restricted his movements, giving him a huge disadvantage if this came to a fight, which it was certainly going to. Gorran raised his huge monstrosity of a sword and Loki held up his knives, the fear evident in his eyes. Metal clanged against metal as the blades met. Tari stood frozen. She knew that if she didn't do something soon, Loki was going to die. Gorran lunged for Loki's side and Loki only just blocked it, wincing from the pain of his wound. He cut at Gorran, quick and vicious, but Gorran used his bulk to push Loki backwards. He slashed at Loki's side, this time drawing blood. It was this sight that spurred Tari into action. She pulled the knife from her sleeve and ran to Gorran's side. Without thinking about what she was about to do, she plunged the knife into Gorran's side. Hot blood soaked her hands and splashed the front of her dress. She let go of the knife, leaving it in Gorran's side. Gorran fell to his knees, his face twisted with pain. Loki looked at Tari for a moment, his eyes wide with shock and disbelief. He shook his head slightly and his face darkened. He stepped forward quickly and sliced Gorran's throat open. Tari's hands shook and her breathing was uneven. Gorran… Gorran was dead. She couldn't quite take it in.

"Are… are you alright?" she asked. Her voice was shaking and sounded tearful. She brought a hand to her face and found tears there.

"Yes, I think so. He just scratched me, nothing serious." Loki said. His voice was carefully expressionless and he was frowning.

"Why did you…?" Tari trailed off and simply gestured to Gorran's lifeless body.

"If he'd survived, you would be punished for stabbing him and both of us for infidelity… and he's not here to hurt you anymore." Loki said. Tari nodded uncertainly. There was a pause.

"Loki, you're bleeding." Tari said, the fear she had felt when she'd seen him on the Rainbow Bridge coming back to her. Loki shook his head.

"That doesn't matter right now. We need to hide all evidence that we did this." He moved quickly over to Gorran's body and pulled the knife from his side. He strode over to the small river that coursed through the forest to the lake and tossed the knife into the water. It was swept away immediately. He then beckoned to Tari, who was still shaking. She walked over to him. "Wash the blood off your hands." He said. Tari knelt and gladly dunked her blood soaked hands into the icy water. Loki did the same. Once the blood was gone from their hands, they stood.

"What are you going to say about your cut?" Tari asked.

"I'll say I got it while sparring. That will explain the blood on my clothes too." Loki paused for a moment before unclasping his cloak. "You have his blood on your dress. Cover it with this." He draped the cloak around Tari's shoulders. Tari pulled it forwards and did up the clasp so that it covered the smears of crimson on her dress. "Go to your chambers and burn the dress, then go to the library so that you will have an alibi. They won't suspect you, but we need to remove all suspicion that we did this. I'll find you later. We need to get away from the body." Loki said. They started to walk away from Gorran's body and out of the forest. Tari kept tugging at the cloak, terrified that it would slip and reveal the glistening blood underneath. When they reached the palace, Loki said, "Get to the library as quickly as you can. If anyone tells you that Gorran is dead, act heartbroken. Remove as much suspicion from yourself as possible. I'll find you later." He then turned and walked in the opposite direction. Tari hurried to her chambers. Once there, she pulled off the bloodstained dress and hurriedly changed into a clean one. She smoothed her hair down and lit the fireplace. Once the wood was alight with roaring amber flames, she tossed the dress in and watched it turn to ash. It was only then that she felt a little thrill. Gorran was dead. She didn't have to live in fear anymore.

* * *

Loki sat at breakfast, tapping his foot rapidly. He had been on edge for hours. No one had found Gorran's body yet, and Loki found himself wishing they would, just to get it over with. He had no idea who Odin would suspect; he had no idea what enemies Gorran had had. What had happened unsettled him; he had never killed an aesir before. Yes, he had killed many people in battle but they had been people who threatened his father's rule and the balance of the nine realms. Then Loki remembered how stiffly Tari had walked after Gorran had beaten her, barely able to move with the pain. He remembered the hopelessness in her eyes and the fear in them whenever she saw Gorran. He remembered the despair he had felt, knowing that the girl he loved belonged to another. All of that was gone. From that moment, Loki did not feel a sliver of regret.

Without warning, the big double doors of the huge dining hall swung open and a small group of guards entered. The attention of the entire hall was on them. One inclined his head to show respect, but his face was grim.

"My king. We have found a body in the forest." He announced. There was a ripple of shocked whispers through the hall and Loki froze. They had found Gorran. Tari needed to get her reaction exactly right. All of the attention would be on her once the guard revealed who the body was. Loki could see her now, staring intently at the guards, looking concerned and slightly frightened. Good. That was what people would expect.

"Who was it?" Odin asked the guard.

"It was Lord Gorran, my king." The guard replied slowly. Loki forced a frown onto his face while watching Tari intently. Her eyes were wide and she had a hand over her mouth, as if to stifle sobs. There were even tears falling from her eyes. Her free hand shook, as if with shock. The young women who sat close to her were trying to comfort her. Loki gave a slight nod. That was perfect. Two young women, people that Loki knew Tari had never met, escorted her out of the room to 'recover'. Tari's eyes met Loki's for a split second before flicking away. Loki felt a small glow of triumph and relief. Everything should be fine now and he and Tari… they could have a life together, just as they'd dreamed of.

* * *

That's all for now, I hope you enjoyed it! I will update by next Wednesday. Please review!

.2016- Thanks!

Kathrynrose42- aww, thank you! That's really great to hear!

Loki's best friend- thank you! Did this chapter put him in his place enough for you? Thanks for such lovely reviews!


	18. Chapter 18

Hi guys! Thankyou DeadlyThorn1997, Winter-Soldier-88, .2016, Loki's best friend and sailorice95 for following/favouriting/reviewing. I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 18

The funeral was three days after Gorran's death and Tari had to attend; it would look odd if she didn't. she was relieved to hear that Crane and her mother would not be attending. Crane would try to take her back home to try to set up another marriage. He wouldn't bother to send for her now, not until the official mourning period was over. He would also be concerned about keeping up appearances. That gave Tari enough time to think of a way to stay at the palace after the mourning period. Of course, the obvious way was to make her engagement to Loki official, but that could cause suspicion. After the mourning period, she and Loki had to appear as if they had only just started courting. Perhaps even a few weeks after the mourning period had ended. That couldn't happen if Tari was shipped off back to Crane's estate. Tari sighed inaudibly. She had been racking her brain for hours, trying to think of a solution. Nothing had come to her.

She was dressing for the funeral. She laced up a dark green gown. It was the same colour as the she'd worn when she had stabbed Gorran, she noted. She didn't know if Gorran had any family. They'd never talked about… well, they'd never talked about anything. Tari had hated Gorran and he'd thought her beneath him. No healthy conversation could come of that.

Tari weaved her hair into the most intricate style she could manage with her wild hair. She fastened a necklace around her throat and left her chambers. She was to go to the sea that flowed off the edge of Asgard. Tari walked through the crowded streets and eventually came to the short, straight river that flowed into the sea. There was a fair sized gathering of people there, including the Allfather. As Gorran had been a warrior and an important member at court, the Allfather must be there to conduct the ceremony, Tari thought. There were also a few other lords, possibly Gorran's friends. Not that Tari would know. One man looked over at Tari. His gaze made her flinch; he had Gorran's ice blue eyes and sharp features. A brother, perhaps? Tari nodded at him timidly. He took a step closer.

"So you're the girl my brother was engaged to." He said. Tari nodded.

"Yes."

"A little young, aren't you." It was not a question. Tari didn't know how to respond without offending the man, so she said nothing. The quiet murmurings of the group faded as a small boat began to drift up river. Tari clenched her fists, forcing herself to stay still and solemn. She almost wanted to smile when she saw Gorran's paper white corpse lying inside the boat. It was a reminder that he was gone forever, he would never hurt her again. He had been dressed in a high collared tunic, presumably to hide the gaping slice in his throat. Tari watched as the boat drifted into the open water and towards the edge. When it reached the edge, she expected it to tumble downwards, but the Allfather tapped his staff against the ground and the boat continued into empty space for a few moments, before plummeting down. 'Goodbye, Monster', Tari thought as the boat disappeared from view.

Afterwards, there was a feast to honour Gorran's life, but in Tari's mind, it was to celebrate his death. She ate little and spoke little, knowing that everyone would blame it on her non-existent grief. She just wanted the whole thing to be over. She was to meet Loki later, by the lake.

* * *

Loki sat by the lake drumming his fingers on a log impatiently. He was waiting for Tari. She had probably been caught up at that monster's funeral. There would be no place in Valhalla for him. There was no place in Valhalla for people who beat defenceless girls. Tari wasn't Sif; she had never been trained in combat. She had never stood a chance against a battle trained warrior like Gorran.

Loki spotted a flash of auburn in the corner of his eye. He looked over and saw Tari making her way towards him. She sat down beside him. For a few moments, neither of them spoke and just stared at the rippling water.

"My stepfather is going to want me back soon. Straight after the mourning period, he's going to send for me." Tari said sadly, breaking the silence. Loki frowned.

"Does he have that much power over you?" he asked.

"He has taken on the role of my father. Girls are supposed to obey their fathers." Tari replied almost bitterly. Loki reached out and took her hand. He hated to see her distressed.

"And if you simply refused to obey him? What would he do?" he asked. Tari took a few moments to consider.

"He's not Gorran. He wouldn't resort to violence and he can't really force me. I think he'd demand that the Allfather send me back home." Tari said somewhat hopelessly.

"It is likely that Odin would send you back." Loki said, his heart growing heavy. He couldn't lose Tari now, not when they were so close to the future they both yearned for. Not when she was the only girl he'd ever truly loved. Without her, his life would be the near emptiness it had been before she had come to the palace. No. He wouldn't lose her. He would do everything in his power to keep her here and keep her safe.

"I think… I think that while Crane would not seek out a match between us, if you asked for my hand in marriage, he would not be able to refuse. Such a power seeker would not want to risk offending the Allfather." Tari said carefully. Loki nodded, his heart lifting a little.

"Yes. Yes, that could work. When the mourning period is over, I'll send Crane a letter." He said, his enthusiasm creeping into his voice.

"Please try to make it seem like this was all your idea. If Crane thinks I encouraged this… well, he won't be pleased." Tari said, her voice urgent.

"Don't worry, Love. Everything will be fine."

* * *

That's all for today. I hope you liked it. I will update by next Wednesday. Please review!

.2016- Thanks!

Loki's best friend- I'm glad you love it! Thanks for such a nice review!

Sailorice95- haha, yeah! Thanks for reviewing!


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

The mourning period passed fairly quickly for Tari. She had grown sick of people she didn't know offering their condolences for the death of a man she had never cared about. It was the same conversation every day: yes, she was too young to lose a fiancé, yes she missed him, yes she was upset. Obviously the last two were lies. She was so relieved that the mourning period was over and done with. Perhaps things would go back to normal now and she and Loki could "begin courting". There was to be a dance that night. It was the perfect opportunity to make their affection known to the court.

Tari stood with Loki in the gardens. It was nice to be with him in a more public place without having to worry about Gorran seeing them together.

"You know, there is going to be a lot of gossip about you and I after tonight." Loki said. Tari nodded. While the thought of people talking about her was unsettling, she had coped with worse.

"I know." She said. "Have you sent Crane the letter yet?" fear resurfaced in her heart. She was still worried that their plan was not going to work. She didn't want to go back to Crane. Not when she and Loki were so close to the future they both coveted.

"I've written it but I haven't sent it." Loki said. "I thought you should read it first." He pulled a piece of parchment from his pocket and handed it to Tari. She unfolded it and began to read. It said:

Lord Crane,

I wish to ask for your stepdaughter's hand in marriage. I realise that the death of her previous fiancé was rather recent but I'm sure it would be far more convenient for you to start a new engagement very soon. We could begin the courting process immediately and officially begin the engagement in a month or two, after the appropriate amount of time after Lord Gorran's death will have passed. I can assure you that this will be an advantageous marriage.

Prince Loki.

Tari finished reading and nodded.

"Yes. Good." She frowned and read the last line again. "Though, you shouldn't really lie to him." Loki grinned.

"I didn't lie. I just didn't specify who the marriage would be advantageous for." He said. Tari shook her head but she was smiling.

"Very well." She said, handing the letter back to Loki.

"I'll send it first thing in the morning." He said, pocketing the letter. He glanced up at the setting sun. "We should be getting ready for the dance." He said. Tari nodded in agreement. They made their way back to the palace and then went their separate ways. Tari went to her chambers and dressed in a sapphire blue gown and braided her hair. She then left her chambers and followed a group of prettily dressed girls to the huge throne room, where the dance was to be held. She was nervous about the letter to Crane. She didn't think Crane would refuse, but she couldn't be sure. She knew that at any moment she could receive a letter from Crane, ordering her back to his estate. She dreaded that moment and just hoped that Loki's letter reached Crane before Crane's letter reached her.

She stepped into the huge throne room. It was awash with golden light and long trestle tables holding plates of food lined the walls. Several people were already in the middle of the room, dancing. The music was light and cheerful and Tari's mood began to lighten. Time wore on and eventually the two princes entered the room. Tari watched as they went and stood near the throne. Now was the time for their façade to begin. Loki was staring at her with an expression of interest and a slight smile on his face. Tari knew that she needed to act like a chaste, shy young lady who was surprised to be receiving any attention from the prince. She pretended not to see Loki for a few moments and then looked over at him. She smiled softly and brushed a stray strand out of her face before looking away shyly. She watched out of the corner of her eye as Thor nudged Loki in the ribs while pointing at her. Good. Tari stopped watching and went back to standing alone at the edge of the room. Several minutes later, she saw Loki approaching her. She moved her features back into that infatuated mask and smiled shyly while bobbing a small curtsy. Loki offered her his hand.

"Would you care for a dance, My Lady?" he asked, a devilish smile on his face.

"I'd be delighted, Your Highness." Tari said in the sweetest voice she could, trying to sound nervous but happy. She took Loki's hand and he led her to the centre of the room. He placed a hand on her waist and took Tari's hand with the other. His eyes never left Tari's waist as they moved in time to the music. Despite their mismatched heights, they moved very well together, their rhythms matching.

Tari caught a glimpse of Queen Frigga watching them with a surprised but happy expression on her kind face. Several lords and ladies were staring. Good. That was exactly the reaction they had wanted. This should spread enough gossip around to make their affection known to the whole court. For almost the entire night, Tari and Loki were each other's dancing partners and Tari thoroughly enjoyed herself. It was the first actually enjoyable dance she had been to in a long time. At the end of the night, Loki kissed her hand and bid her goodbye. Several people were staring at them as he did this. Tari tried her best not to look at them and kept her eyes on Loki.

* * *

That's all for now, I hope you liked it! I will be unable to update next week, as I am going camping and there will be no computers or Wi-Fi, but I will update as soon as I can. There will possibly be another chapter this week but I can't promise anything. Please review!

Loki's best friend- I'm glad you think so!


	20. Chapter 20

Hey! I'm back from Cornwall! I missed this story… thankyou vampireloki, Loki's best friend and sailorice95 for reviewing.

Chapter 20

Loki sat in the gardens the next morning, waiting for Tari. They should be seen in public together, after last night, to enforce the idea that they had begun courting. Of course, they were well passed that stage, but no one could know when their relationship had really started.

Loki didn't notice that Tari was there until she was sitting next to him.

"Loki?" she murmured softly. Loki looked at her.

"Good morning. Last night went rather well, don't you agree?" he said. Tari nodded.

"Yes. I think this is going to work. Now we just have to wait for Crane's reply." She said. Despite, her best efforts to sound confident, Loki could detect the uncertainty in her voice.

"I don't think he'll reject my offer. And if he does… he'll regret it." Loki surprised even himself with that sentence. Tari's lips pursed and her brow creased, but then smoothed over. Loki knew that she hated Crane, and to see him suffer would cause her no hardship. It was in that moment that Loki realised how much he would do to ensure that he and Tari would have a life together.

* * *

Tari sat in her chambers, reading. She was nervous about receiving a letter from Crane. She almost hoped it would arrive, just so she would know his answer. She snapped her book shut. She couldn't focus on it, not while her mind was constantly elsewhere. There was a knock at the door. Tari stood quickly and stepped over to it. She pulled it open to reveal Loki standing there.

"Loki?" Tari exclaimed. "What-?" Loki held up a piece of parchment. "Is that…?" Tari trailed off. Loki nodded it and handed it to her, his expression guarded. That made Tari nervous. Surely if it was good news he would look happier. She almost tore the parchment while unfolding it, her heart pounding. This was it. The words that would define the rest of her life. It said:

Prince Loki,

I am willing to accept your offer of marriage to my stepdaughter. The wedding should take place in four months. I will contact you to sort out any future details.

Lord Crane.

A huge grin spread across Tari's face as Loki slid his arms around her waist, now smiling broadly.

"We're going to get married!" Tari breathed, a warm feeling of happiness spreading through her.

* * *

Loki couldn't help the feeling of apprehension rising in his throat. He didn't know how his father was going to react to his engagement to Tari. The thing was, if the Allfather forbade him to marry Tari, Loki would have to obey. It would kill him to do it, but he would have to. The fact was, in Odin's eyes, Tari was just a low born peasant, only nobility by her mother's marriage. She had enough rank to enter a marriage with someone of Gorran's status, but a prince… it would be difficult to persuade his father to allow the marriage to go ahead. But Loki would try. He would do anything, say anything. He _would_ convince his father. The people of Asgard didn't call him Silvertongue for nothing.

The next evening, Loki sat with his family in their dining room. He was trying to figure out how best to break the news to the Allfather. He was waiting until Odin had drunk at least two glasses of wine. He was always more benevolent after wine. As Odin finished the last drops in his glass, Loki began to speak, "Father… you may know that I have recently taken an interest to the Lady Tari." Odin raised an eyebrow and Thor and Frigga went silent.

"Loki, everyone in this castle knows that." Loki ignored the withering tone in his father's voice and carried on speaking, "I have since realised that this is… more than just interest. I think I'm in love with her and I've asked her to marry me. She said yes." Odin straightened in his chair and his face became thunderous.

"How could you do this without my permission, Loki! Lady Tari is nothing more than a peasant girl, not worth your time!" Loki felt ice cold anger chill his blood.

"Her father is one of the most powerful men in Asgard."

"Her _stepfather_ , Loki. She is not nobility by blood."

"What does that matter? She has enough status from her stepfather to be considered worthy by the public." Loki's voice was raised now, his hands clenched into fists. Why did status have to matter so much? Why did it have to dictate everyone's lives?

"Odin, please… is it not a good thing that our son has found love?" Frigga murmured softly. Loki smiled briefly at his mother. He knew that if he was not successful, she would try to wear Odin down for him.

"Not too long ago, you were pressuring Thor and I to find brides. Why have your opinions changed now that the marriage is my decision?" Odin didn't speak for a few moments and simply stared at Loki with an odd expression on his face.

"Loki, your blood is…" he trailed off, his face darkening. "Very well. If you wish for this wedding to happen then I will not stop you. I just hope that Thor will make a better choice."

Loki felt an odd mixture of happiness and indignation at Odin's last sentence but forced himself to focus on the happiness. He was going to marry Tari. That was what mattered.

* * *

I hope you enjoyed that. I'm sorry it took so long, There was a problem with the file upload. I will update by next Thursday. Please review!

Vampireloki- I'm so glad you like it so much! Thanks so much for a lovely review.

Loki's best friend- I'm glad you love it!

Sailorice95- I'm glad you liked it. Camping was ok but it was SO windy!


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

"I shall have to meet your new fiancé soon, Loki." Thor announced the next morning at breakfast. Loki sighed inwardly, but nodded.

"You shall." He said. "Though you have met her before."

"Yes, but very briefly. I should like to have a conversation with her." Thor contradicted. Loki raised an eyebrow. Was Thor even capable of having a conversation that wasn't about weaponry or fighting? He supposed poor Tari would find out. "Perhaps she could come to dinner tonight?" Thor suggested.

"I'll ask her." Loki said. He then excused himself and left the dining hall. He found Tari in the corridor outside her chambers. She appeared to have just left them. Loki approached her and took her hand. She looked slightly startled but smiled when she saw who it was.

"Good morning." She said. Loki smiled.

"Good morning. I have good news." He said. Tari frowned.

"What is it?"

"My father has given us permission to marry." Loki told her. Tari's frown deepened.

"I didn't realise that would be an issue." She said, then sighed. "No. of course it would be. I'm a peasant girl who wants to marry a prince."

"You _are_ going to marry a prince. And you won't be a peasant girl any more. You'll be a princess once we're married." Loki said, hoping it would remove the dark expression from her face. Tari gave a small laugh.

"Princess Tari. It sounds so strange." She said.

"You'll be Queen Tari one day." Loki said. "If you survive dinner tonight." He added darkly. Tari frowned.

"What?"

"Thor has invited you to dinner." Loki explained, grinning. Tari froze for a moment before breathing deeply.

"I doubt it will be _that_ bad." She said. Loki raised an eyebrow. Tari glared at him.

* * *

"Lady Tari!" Tari heard a loud booming voice from behind her. Prince Thor. She groaned inwardly and reluctantly turned around.

"Prince Thor." She greeted him and bobbed a curtsy. Thor beamed at her.

"Please, simply call me Thor. We are to be family soon." Tari just smiled, not knowing what to say. Lady Sif and Fandral appeared beside the prince. Tari gritted her teeth. Now there was three of them.

"I am afraid I must leave now, but I am very much looking forward to dinner tonight." She said in her sweetest voice.

"Very well. Goodbye, Tari." Thor said. Tari smiled, hoping it looked sincere, turned and walked down the corridor. She heard Sif mutter something but couldn't make out the words. Tari found Loki in the gardens. He didn't see her for a few moments and his expression remained cold and thoughtful. He then glanced up and spotted her. He smiled, the melancholy expression vanishing from his face. Tari wasn't sure whether to say something about it. After a very short internal battle, she decided against it; Loki wasn't like her: he would tell if something was wrong if he wanted to.

"Hello." Tari greeted him. Loki pressed a kiss to her lips.

"How are you?" he asked. Tari smiled.

"I'm perfectly fine. And you?" A subtle invitation for him to tell her what was troubling him. Loki's eyes flickered with that sad expression again.

"Fine… just…" he shook his head slightly. "It's nothing you don't know already." Tari understood. His father, Thor, Thor's friends. They were all judgemental idiots. She knew that they were always making snide comments, always looking with judging eyes. She'd seen them and she hated them. But she and Loki would rule Asgard one day, and they'd regret it all.

Tari planned to ask the king or queen if her mother could come to stay at the palace. She wanted her away from Crane. Her relationship with her mother was strained, to say the least, but she didn't want her own mother in a marriage that almost certainly resembled her engagement to Gorran. Also, she knew it would cause Crane anguish, and Tari did not forgive easily. It made her smile to know that once she was married to Loki, she'd have power over Crane.

"We should really go to dinner now." Loki remarked. Tari closed her eyes and sighed inaudibly. She was nervous about this, if mostly for Loki's sake. She wanted the Allfather to believe that he had made a good decision by entering an engagement with her. It would hopefully improve his perception of Loki, and choosing the right bride was important for a future king. "Are you nervous?" Loki asked.

"Yes." Loki smiled.

"Don't be. They're harmless enough." Tari smiled wanly and they made their way to the royal dining hall. The found the king, queen and Thor already seated. Tari saw as Loki's face transformed from mirthful and smiling, to cold, cunning and guarded.

"Loki, Lady Tari! Please, sit." The queen greeted them warmly and gestured to a pair of chairs opposite her. Tari moved her features into that sweet, innocent, lady like mask she wore in public and sat down, smiling graciously. Her chair was directly opposite Queen Frigga's, which was a little daunting.

"I am truly delighted to have you here, Tari. I am very much looking forward to getting to know my future daughter in law." The queen said quietly as a conversation struck up between Thor and the king.

"Thankyou. I have been looking forward to meeting you too." Tari murmured politely. She knew that while Loki resented his father and Thor, he truly loved his mother.

"I am very glad that my son has found someone." The queen said, smiling kindly.

The rest of the meal passed quickly and Tari did manage to slip in the request for her mother to visit. The queen told her that, of course she could have her mother here. Everyone spoke to her but the Allfather, who did not say much to anyone.

* * *

That's all for now, I hope you liked it! I will update by next Wednesday.

Guest- Thank you, I'm glad you think so!

Loki's best friend- I missed writing it too.

Sailorice95- I agree, Frigga is just generally great.

Vampireloki- I'm glad you love it!


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

Tari stood at the front of the palace, waiting for her mother's carriage to arrive. It seemed like she had been there an age before it did. Tari forced herself to remain calm, collected as the carriage rolled up, every inch the future princess. Her mother stepped daintily out of the carriage. Her clothes were drabber than when Tari had last seen her, presumably due to the absence of Gorran's money. Tari waited as her mother approached her, looking slightly wary, but happy too.

"Tari!" her mother exclaimed and wrapped Tari in a warm embrace. Tari tried not to squirm out of it, as she would have done not so long ago. "How are you?" her mother asked, holding her at arm's length, as she had done when Tari was a child.

"I am very well, Mother. And you?" Tari replied.

"I-I am well." Her mother said, painting on one of those false smiles that Tari knew so well. She chose to let her mother's lie remain unmentioned. They would talk more privately soon.

"Good. Will you come with me to my chambers so we can talk?" Tari asked, turning towards the palace. Her mother followed, looking slightly perplexed with her daughter. They reached Tari's chambers and went through to the receiving room. They sat in a pair of armchairs.

"Tari, I cannot believe it! You are going to be a princess!" Tari's mother proclaimed but then bit her lip. "Your father isn't best pleased though-"

"Crane is not my father. And I don't care whether he approves or not." Tari snapped. Her mother sighed.

"You're as wilful as ever. Maybe you should do what pleases Lord Crane- "

"No! Mother, I love Loki and I'm not going to give that up for a life I hated." Tari cut in, her fists clenched. She breathed deeply, trying to calm the red hot anger that burned in her throat. "I summoned you here to get you away from Crane, not so you could criticize my actions. If I hadn't done what you are chastising me for, you would still be there with… that man." She growled. Her mother looked surprised and unsettled by her tone but said nothing. "Tell me; are you happy with Crane?" Tari asked. Her mother's brow creased and her lips pursed, but she shook her head.

"No. I'm not." She answered. Tari nodded.

"Then you need not return there." She said.

"Crane won't like it." Her mother said worriedly.

"What Crane wants doesn't matter anymore. I am his superior and I say that you can stay here." Tari said, her teeth gritted. Her mother nodded and smiled wanly.

"Thank you, Tari." She paused for a moment. "Tari, I'm so sorry. About everything. I… I married Crane to protect us but… I had no idea what he was going to do. I'm sorry." Tari gritted her teeth, not knowing how to respond. She simply nodded and excused herself. She left her chambers, not knowing if she was ready to forgive yet. She knew she should; this was her own mother. But they didn't know each other anymore. They had spent too much time apart. Tari knew that all her mother remembered of her was the little girl she had once been, and the brief conversations they'd had as the years had passed. She did not know the young woman Tari had become. Tari did not know her mother either. She was so different now.

Tari stalked down to the lake, ignoring the people who stared at her. Being the prince's fiancé had its consequences.

* * *

Tari stood by the lake, her fists clenched. She knew she was never going to be able to forget what Gorran had done to her, and the fact that if it weren't for her mother it would never have happened. She breathed deeply, trying to suppress her tears of anger. A flare of fury ignited inside her and she raised her hands, her magic sending a log crashing into the lake. The tears she had been holding off spilled from her eyes.

"Tari?" a voice came from behind her. Loki stepped into Tari's view, his face soft with concern. "Tari, what's wrong?" he took hold of her hands.

"My mother's here… and it's overwhelming, all the memories. How if she hadn't married Crane, I wouldn't have been sold off to Gorran. How she stood by and let it happen, even when she knew what was happening." The words gushed from Tari's mouth like blood from a wound. Loki said nothing, but wrapped his arms around her. Tari relaxed in his arms and closed her eyes.

"You don't need to worry about that anymore. Gorran's gone now. He's gone forever." Loki murmured softly in Tari's ear.

"I know." Tari whispered. Loki let go of her and took a step back. "We're so close to what we want now. The wedding is going to be in three months. No one will ever be able to hurt you again." He said. Tari smiled at him.

* * *

"Loki, will you teach me how to fight?" Tari asked as they watched the golden sun sink slowly below the horizon. Loki looked mildly surprised.

"Why?" he asked. Tari bit her lip.

"I-I just think it would be useful and… I suppose I would feel safer." Not to mention the fact that she would have a new way to occupy her time. She could control her telekinesis with very few problems now and she got bored without those training sessions. Loki frowned but nodded.

"Alright, I'll teach you. Would you like to start now?" he asked. Tari nodded.

"If that's alright." Loki smiled.

"Of course it is." They made their way to the training yard. Thor and his friends were already there, sparring with ungainly, heavy looking swords. Tari saw Loki's shoulders slump at the sight of the five people. They looked over. Thor waved. Loki just nodded curtly and carried on walking, towards a separate training ring. Tari followed him and stepped into the dry sand. She was in no way dressed for a fighting lesson, but she didn't care. Her mother wouldn't be pleased though. She'd go on and on about the fact that fighting wasn't appropriate for a young lady of her station.

Loki was at some kind of rack. A weapons rack, Tari realised. He approached her, holding four knives. Tari clenched her fists at the sight of them. She remembered vividly how it had felt to plunge that knife into Gorran's side; the warm blood spraying her hands, the grind of steel against bone. She didn't regret doing that to Gorran. She would never be able to do that, but it had still been an unpleasant experience. Loki was holding two knives out to her, a concerned expression on his face.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Nothing." Tari took the knives and held them at her sides. Loki smiled.

"Let's start."

* * *

That's all for now, I hope you enjoyed it! I will update by next Wednesday. Please review!

Loki's best friend- Thank you, I'm glad you think so! I really like Frigga as a character so I was hoping I'd do her justice. Odin wouldn't really talk to her because he wasn't happy with Loki's decision and didn't really want anything to do with it.


	23. Chapter 23

Hey! Thankyou PinkAwesomeCow and Loki's best friend for following/favouriting/reviewing. Just to let you know, I'm starting this chapter with a Frigga POV.

Chapter 23

Frigga looked up from her book and towards her husband. She needed to say it. The issue wasn't going to go away or resolve itself. She needed to consult with Odin.

"Odin, I have been thinking. Now that Loki is engaged… well, the wedding is fast approaching and… what if any future offspring show any of Loki's… traits? The ones of his true heritage." Odin sighed.

"That is the reason I did not approve of the match in the first place, Frigga." He said.

"We can't just keep Loki from marriage for his whole life, just to prevent any children. If not Tari, there would eventually be someone else. We cannot keep Loki from happiness for his entire life just because of his heritage." Frigga protested. "Surely we should tell them both of Loki's true species? So that it is not a shock when they do have a child."

"No, Frigga. I-I do not think it is the right time and that does not suit my plans for Loki. I will think of something. For now, I do not wish to hear any more on the subject." Frigga did not speak again, knowing that it would do more harm than good. But she would try again. She would do the right thing for her son.

* * *

Tari took a step back, breathing hard with sweat beading on her brow. She held the knives loosely in her hands. Loki was opposite her, smiling approvingly.

"You're getting a lot better." He remarked. Tari smiled.

"Thankyou." This was her tenth combat lesson in the space of two months. For the first two, she had been absolutely hopeless, but she had certainly improved since then. She and Loki had been spending the bulk of their time together, which meant that Tari had seen a lot more of Thor and his friends. To be frank, they were very stupid and very annoying, at least in her opinion. Sif was less so, but she had an air of sharpness and something that was almost cruelty about her that caused Tari not to trust her. However, Tari had to respect her; she had made her name as one of the fiercest warriors in all the nine realms. Not an easy task for a woman, with all the silly conventions and rules they were supposed to fit to. Hogun was also more tolerable, but Tari wasn't sure of his character, since he rarely spoke.

Tari's mother drifted into view, an exasperated expression twisting her face. Ah… Tari had forgotten that dress fitting she was supposed to go to. She didn't understand what all the fuss was about.

Her mother tilted her head to the side, indicating that Tari should go to her. Loki was watching.

"I suppose you'd better go." He said sympathetically. Tari nodded, grimacing. Loki chuckled lightly and kissed her.

"Well, come back soon." He murmured. Tari grinned at him and reluctantly strode over to her mother. Her mother had a disapproving look on her face that made Tari feel like she was a small child again. She'd seen that look so many times when she'd played in the mud and gotten dirty, or gotten into a scrap with one of the village boys.

"You were supposed to be at the dressmakers an _hour_ ago! Where have you been?" Tari let her mother's ranting fade into the background.

She kept thinking back to the events of the last two months. The fact that she had been seeing a lot more of Thor and his friends meant that she had seen an entirely different side of Loki, so different from the one she knew. This one was cold, indifferent and cruel tongued, while the one she knew was kind, charming and full of mirth. Tari could never work out which one was real. She hoped it was the one she was accustomed to. Not that she was one to talk: she had a false self too. A sweet, innocent young girl she used to cover up her scars, fear and that murder. It scared her sometimes; how easy it was to just be someone else. Someone false.

The session at the dressmakers was uneventful and mind numbingly boring, aside from the fact that she was occasionally stabbed by a pin. Possibly the seamstress's revenge for being late.

After what seemed like an eternity of this, Tari was finally allowed to escape. She just wanted the wedding to happen. She just wanted her life with Loki to begin. She walked with her mother back to the palace. As they crossed the courtyard, Tari noticed a carriage approaching. It looked like Crane's carriage.

"Mother…" Tari gripped her mother's arm and gestured in the direction of the carriage. Her mother froze.

"Oh Valhalla… he must be here for the wedding."

"That's not for another month!" Tari exclaimed, her voice full of fear. She couldn't face Crane now, she just couldn't! She kept a tight hold on her mother's arm, mostly to keep herself from running away. "What should we do?"

"We should stay here and greet him. Keep up appearances." Tari's mother said, clearly trying hard to keep her voice calm for her daughter. Tari looked over at her. They were more alike than she had thought. The carriage stopped and Crane stepped out, his eyes fixed on the two women in the courtyard. His face was as hard and cold as stone. He walked calmly over to Tari and her mother. Tari tried to stop herself from shaking. He was going to be so angry. She had gone against his wishes, gotten engaged to someone she had known he wouldn't want her to. Tari gritted her teeth. No. she was going to be a princess. Crane had no right to treat her like his inferior. She had to be strong, for herself and her mother. These thoughts did not banish her fear, but they did bring comfort.

"Crane." Tari said as calmly and coldly as she could when Crane reached them. "A little early for the wedding aren't you?" Both Crane and Tari's mother looked surprised at her tone. Crane's grey eyes narrowed into slivers.

"How dare you encourage this engagement." He growled slowly, staring straight into Tari's eyes. She tried not to flinch or look away.

"I didn't." she lied.

"You accepted it rather happily."

"How could I do otherwise? He's a _prince._ " Tari argued. She was even surprising herself with her irreverent tone. Crane set his jaw and glared at her. Tari knew that the fact that they were in a public place was the only thing that was keeping Crane from striking her.

"I want you to end the engagement." Crane commanded quietly. Tari inhaled sharply.

"No." the word left her mouth before she had time to think about it. Crane's face turned thunderous. Tari quickly resumed speaking before _he_ could. "You will stay for the wedding, you will give your blessing and then you will leave and you won't come back. My mother will stay here." She tried not to gabble the words and said them as coldly and slowly as she could. Crane's face frosted over with fury. Tari tried not to shrink away. She had seen that look too many times.

"Problem?" came a voice from beside Tari. Tari could have laughed with relief when she saw Loki. He was staring at Crane with such anger that he made him look almost kind in comparison. One hand rested on Tari's shoulder protectively. Crane was forced to loom neutral.

"No, Your Grace." He said.

"Good." Loki turned to Tari. "Will you join me in the training yard?" Tari smiled.

"Of course." She glanced over at her mother and gestured for her to return to her chambers. Naya nodded and walked back towards the palace. Tari didn't want to leave her with Crane. Loki took Tari's arm and they left Crane in the courtyard.

"What happened? Are you alright?" Loki asked when they were out of earshot.

"I'm fine, but I think it's a good thing you showed up when you did." Tari replied. Loki frowned.

"What did you _do_?" he asked.

"I simply made it clear to him that I am now his superior and I won't stand for him being cruel to me or my mother anymore." Tari said. Loki exhaled sharply.

"I think you may have made an enemy there." Tari nodded.

"I know."

* * *

That's all for now, I hope you liked it. I will update by next Sunday. Please review!

Loki's best friend- Thank you!

PinkAwesomeCow- I'm so glad you love it. Don't worry, I plan on writing a lot more! I'm glad you like the character development, I was hoping I was doing a good job.


	24. Chapter 24

Hi guys! Thankyou Loki's best friend, Skylar97 and Stencil Angel for favouriting/reviewing. Just a quick note: I don't know what an Asgardian wedding would actually be like, so this is all stuff I made up. I hope it seems Asgardian.

Chapter 24

The next month passed very quickly. Tari had to oversee all kinds of arrangements to do with the wedding. It was all so exhausting and she wished it was over. She and Loki had a few brief, snatched moments together but saw little of each other otherwise.

Tari's mother insisted that she could not see the bridal gown until the morning of the wedding. Tari hoped it wasn't too extravagant. Thankfully, she saw little of Crane. He must have been off sulking somewhere, or he just didn't want to cross Loki. Either way was fine, as long as Tari didn't have to see him. She couldn't wait until he scuttled off back to his estate and left her alone forever.

Her mother called Tari to her chambers a few times, to teach her how to go about the wedding ceremony.

"What happens first?"

"Um…" Tari thought. "The Allfather will ask for Crane's blessing."

"Which he will hopefully give. I hope he doesn't make a scene." Tari's mother said worriedly.

"He won't. He'd be too scared." Tari said. Her mother then proceeded to tell her about the various rituals that made up an Asgardian wedding and what was expected of her. She then smiled.

"I can't believe it. My little girl's getting married." Tari's mother pulled her into a hug. Tari smiled. She was trying not to feel nervous about the wedding. She didn't understand why she was so scared. It was _Loki_ she was marrying. She loved him, she trusted him. She was so much better off than she could have imagined a few months ago. Back then, her wedding would have been a life sentence, a prison. Now it was going to set her free. She breathed deeply. She would be fine. She knew that. Her fear was completely unreasonable.

On the morning of the wedding, Tari woke to her mother and three handmaidens in her chambers, there to help her get ready. She bathed and was then laced into a tight, horrible corset that practically prevented her from breathing. Then her mother carried the dress into the room.

"Close your eyes." She commanded. Tari obeyed, knowing that it was silly, but she had no reason to argue. She'd rather not have a disagreement with her mother on her wedding day. It was supposed to be a good day. She could feel the dress being laced up as tight as the corset. The damned thing was so _heavy_. Another handmaiden was busy working on Tari's hair, while another was applying cosmetics to her face. Tari felt cold metal being fastened around her throat and wrists. Then, all the hands left her and she was turned around, presumably to face the mirror.

"Open your eyes." Said her mother's voice. Tari did so. The girl in the mirror did not look like her. She was taller, thanks to the heeled shoes her mother insisted she wore. The dress was a deep, vivid emerald green, accented with gold. To match Loki. Tari's red hair was half up with pieces of golden thread woven in. Emeralds set in gold shone at her neck and wrists.

"Come on. You've got to go to the throne room." Her mother said softly. Tari nodded, half dazed, and followed her mother through the palace.

Loki was already waiting outside the throne room. He did a double take when he saw Tari, making her laugh briefly. She was so nervous, but could feel herself calming down now that she was with Loki. Her mother smiled at her and mouthed 'Good luck' before slipping into the throne room.

"You look beautiful." Loki murmured. Tari smiled.

"Thankyou." Loki was dressed in his ceremonial armour.

"Are you nervous?" Loki asked, smiling softly. Tari shook her head.

"Not anymore." She murmured. Loki took her hand. A servant turned the corner, carrying something gold.

"Your helmet, Your Highness." The servant said meekly, handing it over. Loki pulled it on and pulled it on. Tari barely suppressed a laugh. Loki frowned at her.

"What?" Tari smirked.

"The helmet… you look like a reindeer." Loki sighed.

"Tari, I love you- but shut up." He said, but he was grinning.

"I love you too." Tari said softly. "Horns and all." She couldn't resist adding. Loki's grin widened. Soft music struck up in the throne room. Loki took a deep breath.

"That's our cue." Tari took his arm and they stepped into the throne room. There was a large crowd of courtiers inside, separated into two groups, to give Tari and Loki a path to walk on. Tari made sure to keep her head high and a soft smile on her face. Valhalla, there were so many people watching. Loki gave Tari a reassuring smile as they reached the steps leading up to the Allfather's throne. They stopped there. Tari's nerves had arisen in full force, mixed with excitement and happiness. It was an effort not to start fidgeting. She and Loki knelt before the throne. Loki kept a hold on Tari's hand. Tari smiled. Was he nervous too? The Allfather raised his staff and brought it down on the floor beside him. The sound rang out through the throne room and the people went silent.

"We are here today to join together the lives of two people who love each other. They have chosen to spend the rest of their lives together, to share their joys and sorrows. Do you, Crane Arikson, give this marriage your blessing?" Tari stiffened, waiting anxiously waiting for Crane's answer.

"I give my blessing." Crane said it somewhat begrudgingly, but he'd said it. Tari sighed inaudibly with relief. Loki squeezed her hand.

"Loki Odinson, Tari Cranedottir, arise." The Allfather commanded. They did so. Tari almost tripped on her long dress. She remembered what her mother had told her and turned to Loki, holding out her left hand. Loki held out his and took hers, as if they were shaking hands. The Allmother stepped forward, carrying a long golden cloth. She wound it around their arms and clasped hands, then stepped back to her original place.

"Do you swear to love and protect each other for the rest of your days?"

"I swear." Loki and Tari said simultaneously. Tari took a deep breath again. Loki smiled at her, his eyes looking right into hers, filled with intensity. Tari smiled as her nerves melted away.

"Do you swear to care for each other and comfort each other, no matter what may come?"

"I swear."

"Do you swear to support each other and to share your lives, the good and the bad?"

"I swear."

The Allmother stepped forward again, smiling warmly. She unwound the cloth from around Tari and Loki's clasped hands. Two elegant silver knives then materialised in her hands. Tari took a deep breath. The Bloodrings were to be made now. She and Loki both took a knife. A silver goblet then appeared in the Allmother's hands. Tari's hand trembled slightly, the knife glinting in her hand. Tari held the knife to her hand, knowing enough not to cut her wrist. Loki was doing the same. Tari gritted her teeth and dragged the knife across the side of her palm. She winced slightly as crimson blood welled up in the wound. Loki was holding his bleeding hand over the cup. Tari did the same. Their blood mingled in the bottom of the cup. The queen took a step back and closed her eyes, one hand held above the cup. She remained that way for several seconds. She then held the cup forward again. Inside rested two silver rings. The queen handed one to Loki and one to Tari. Loki took Tari's hand and slipped the ring onto her finger. Tari did the same for him, her hand shaking slightly. Loki smiled at her hand squeezed her hand. Tari smiled back. It was almost done.

"I, Odin Allfather, proclaim you husband and wife, prince and princess of Asgard."

Loki pulled Tari to him and kissed her. When they broke apart, Tari was grinning.

* * *

I hope you enjoyed that! I will update by next Thursday, please review!

Loki's best friend- I'm glad too, and I'm happy that you liked that part.

Stencil Angel- Well, here's the wedding! Now you don't have to kill me. It's definitely not the end of their problems though… Thanks for reviewing!


	25. Chapter 25

HI guys! Thankyou kathrynrose42, artemis7448, Loki's best friend and Thor13542 for following/favouriting/reviewing.

Chapter 25

Tari watched as her ring glinted in the early morning sunlight. It was the morning after the wedding. Crane had left as fast as he could yesterday, not even bothering to stay for the celebrations. Good riddance, Tari thought.

The light from the rising sun warmed Tari's face as she looked over at Loki's sleeping figure. Her things had been moved to his chambers by the servants yesterday. One of them had found the pieces of Tari's broken dresser. It had been very difficult to get him to stop asking questions about it.

Tari stood up and dressed quickly. She knew that she and Loki were supposed to appear at breakfast together. Loki stirred and sat up. He was bleary eyed from sleep, a sight that made Tari smile.

"Good morning." She murmured softly. Loki smiled.

"Morning. How long have you been awake?"

"About an hour. You need to get up." Loki groaned. "Come on, Lazy." Tari said, grinning, and began to twist her hair into braids. When she looked back at Loki, he was dressed with his raven hair slicked back. He smiled.

"Shall we go?" Tari smiled and Loki took her hand. They made their way down to the dining hall.

Eating at the head table with Loki was odd. Tari was careful to keep her expression pleasant and sat straight, no matter what; she knew courtiers would be watching her, sizing her up as a potential future queen. Loki and Frigga were very good company and helped Tari to feel more at home. Thor occasionally spoke to her, but the conversation was always awkward and self-conscious, at least on Tari's part. She doubted Thor ever felt self-conscious.

* * *

Tari and Loki gradually settled into a routine over the next few months. It felt good to be married, to be safe and with the man she loved. Tari didn't think she'd ever been happier. No- she knew she hadn't. her life was peaceful and she had no one to fear. There was, however, the worry of hoping that the Allfather would choose Loki as his successor. Tari felt fairly confident that he would. Loki was rational, intelligent and calm. He'd be good at negotiations and keeping the peace between realms. Thor, on the other hand, was brash, had a hot temper and wasn't particularly clever. He'd start wars without even trying the peaceful way or weighing up the risks and benefits. He'd simply declare war in a fit of temper. Tari hoped that the Allfather could see that.

Tari woke feeling sick to her stomach. She scrambled off the bed and grabbed a chamber pot. She heaved violently into it, wincing at the foulness of it. She sat up grimacing. What in the nine realms had caused that? She was sure she wasn't ill; she had no fever. Loki sat up in the bed.

"Tari? What's wrong?" he asked.

"I don't know." Tari replied.

"I think you need to go to the healing wing." Loki said, frowning.

"No. No, I'm fine." Tari dismissed the idea, but she was a little worried.

When she awoke the next morning, it happened again.

"You are going to the healing wing." Loki said. Tari sighed but agreed. In truth, she was slightly worried. There was one thing she didn't want, not yet. Loki took her to the healing wing. Eir had her lie on the soul forge. She had a knowing expression on her face, which made Tari feel slightly uncomfortable and worried. The colourful patterns of the soul forge swirled above her. Tari had no idea what they meant, but Eir was watching them intently. Tari looked over at Loki. He smiled at her, clearly trying to be reassuring.

"The princess is not ill; she is one month pregnant." Eir said. Tari's eyes widened as panic exploded in her stomach. No. Not a baby, not yet. Loki was frozen beside her.

"What?" he murmured. Tari was sure she looked absolutely terrified.

"Please come back in two weeks so we can monitor the growth and health of the child." Eir said calmly. "You are free to go now." Tari stood up shakily. She and Loki walked from the healing wing. Tari wasn't sure she was ready to be a mother. She was still young, and so inexperienced. She had no idea how to go about raising a baby. A royal baby. This child was possibly the future king or queen of Asgard. But… maybe this could be a good thing. Maybe a child would bring them happiness. They would be a family.

"Valhalla…" Loki muttered. "I can't believe it…" Tari bit her lip. She hoped Loki shared her opinions of this news.

"What do you think?" She asked tentatively. Loki frowned.

"Well… it's… it's a lot to take in, but…" he paused for a moment. "I'm sure we'll be fine." Tari frowned.

"But… are you happy?" she asked. She bit her lip as she waited for Loki's answer.

"Well, I wasn't expecting this this soon, but maybe it's for the best. This could make us very happy." Loki said. Tari smiled. She was glad he felt that way. Loki kissed her forehead.

"I've got to go to a council meeting. We'll talk more later."

* * *

Tari found her mother in her chambers.

"Mother, I need to talk to you." She said. Her mother straightened in her chair, looking concerned.

"What is it? Has something happened?" she asked urgently. Tari shook her head.

"Not anything bad. I'm…" Tari swallowed, suddenly nervous. "I'm pregnant." She dragged the words out of her mouth. Her mother's eyes went wide.

"Tari, that's amazing!" she exclaimed. Tari raised an eyebrow. That wasn't quite the reaction she had expected. "Tari, you have provided the realm with an heir! Should the child be male- "

"Mother, there are already two people in line for the throne." Tari said. Her mother's sudden hunger for power unsettled her. It wasn't like her.

"Yes, but it does improve the chances of the Allfather choosing your husband as his successor." Tari inhaled sharply. She hoped that was true. An heir would make Loki's rule more stable. She wanted to be queen. She wanted Loki to be king, and there wasn't much to stop them now.

* * *

I hope you enjoyed that! I will update by next Thursday. Please review!

Kathrynrose42- I'm glad you're happy!

Loki's best friend- Glad you love it!


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26

"I told you this would happen!" Frigga exclaimed. She couldn't believe it- already, Tari was pregnant. Frigga had hoped this problem would occur in the relatively distant future, when she and Odin had had time to think of a solution, or she had convinced Odin to simply tell Loki and Tari the truth. She didn't understand why Odin refused to do so.

"Frigga, don't worry. I am going to think of a solution." Odin said far too calmly.

"Think of what? A new way to deceive them?" Frigga demanded, barely keeping the anger from her voice. She bit her lip. She knew it was dangerous territory, talking about this. Odin hated to think he was anything but in the right, but Frigga just had to make him _see_ how unfair it was. She just had to.

"Yes." Odin snapped. "What else can I do?"

"You could tell them what Loki really is! How are you going to conceal their child's features from them? You can't keep up two permanent illusions, not so close to Odinsleep!" Frigga argued. She gritted her teeth. Why did he have to be so stubborn?

"I know." Odin murmured.

"Then what are you going to tell them when their child comes out blue?" Frigga demanded, exasperated. Odin shook his head.

"Honestly- I don't know. But I _will_ think of something. I have months to do it and Eir will help me. She knows of Loki's true species." He said. Frigga sighed, clenching her fists in an effort to keep herself from weeping.

"Please… please don't make me lie to my child anymore. I-I just can't." Odin simply shook his head and left the room.

* * *

Tari lay on the soul forge again. This was the third of her visits to the healing wing. Eir took the fact that she was carrying a royal baby very seriously, and Loki insisted on coming with her every time. Apparently, according to the patterns that moved above the soul forge, the baby was growing at a normal, healthy rate. That was good to hear. Tari's belly had begun to show the pregnancy. She was around two months pregnant. Aesir carried their children for ten months before giving birth. That seemed a long time to Tari, but she was worried that it would pass too quickly. The thought of being a mother scared her. She was terrified that she'd be awful. She was also afraid of childbirth. She knew that it hurt. That some women died during it. Tari could only pray that she wasn't one of those women. To be honest, she did want this child. She wanted to be a family. She'd try to be a better mother than her mother had been. She knew what it was like to grow up like that and she wouldn't allow that to happen to her child. Never.

"I think that concludes our examination. You may leave now." Eir said. Tari slid off the soul forge and moved towards the door, Loki just behind her.

* * *

Loki couldn't help drumming his fingers along his arm. In truth, Tari's pregnancy worried him. He did want a child, he really did, but he was worried for Tari. He knew that some women didn't survive childbirth. He also knew that he was being ridiculous for worrying about that; death during childbirth was a rare occurrence in Asgard. But it was in Loki's nature to think of and analyse every possible outcome of all important situations and that was the one that worried him the most. That Tari, after all they had been through, would die. Loki wouldn't be able to bear that.

"Loki?" came Tari's voice from beside him. "Are you alright?" Loki nodded hastily and smiled.

"I'm fine." He reassured her. Tari did not look convinced but she did not pursue the matter.

"When I told my mother that we were going to have a baby, she mentioned the fact that the child makes you a better choice as your father's successor." Tari said in a low tone. Loki nodded. The thought had occurred briefly to him before.

"She's right; it does." He said, keeping his face carefully neutral.

"So, I think this baby has come at precisely the right time; I'm sure your father must be considering who will be his heir and Thor remains unmarried, childless and is not even showing an interest in any singular woman, let alone courting them." Tari said, still speaking quietly. Loki nodded. Tari was right. Loki knew he was a better choice for the throne. There was just a part of him that just couldn't see his father choosing him as his heir. It seemed certain and yet impossible at the same time. Loki desperately wanted to be king. He knew he would do what was right for Asgard and he knew he would be a good ruler. He knew he had all the right assets and skills.

They reached their chambers and Tari sat down carefully in a chair. Loki watched carefully. He couldn't help feeling more protective of her now that she was pregnant. Tari was biting her lip.

"I-I've been blaming my mother's choices for what happened to me because of Gorran. It keeps going around and around in my head that it was her fault, even though I know she never intended for these things to happen." Tari said, frowning with her eyes fixed on the floor. Her eyes were dark and looked distant. "But now- I think that maybe it was for the best. If my mother hadn't married crane I would never have met you, we wouldn't be having this child." Tari smiled. "What I'm trying to say is that you and the baby are worth going through everything I went through. Loki smiled and moved over to Tari. He kissed her tenderly.

"I love you, Loki." Tari whispered.

"I love you too."

* * *

That's all for today! I will update by next Thursday. Please review!

Kathrynrose42- Don't worry, it's not going to be a weird devil thing.

Loki's best friend- Yeah he's happy. I think they both just had that "oh god I'm going to be a parent" freak out.

Vampireloki- Oh wow, it's really your favourite?! That makes me so happy! Thanks for reviewing!


	27. Chapter 27

Hey guys! Thankyou Cooljoanna15, vampireloki, Loki's best friend and Stencil Angel for following/reviewing.

Chapter 27

Over the next three months, the baby grew bigger and bigger.

"I think Eir will be able to tell if it's a boy or a girl soon." Loki said. Tari nodded.

"Which would you rather?" She asked.

"The people of Asgard would like a male heir, but I don't have a preference. Perhaps it would make a statement if our heir was female." Loki said. Tari nodded, smiling.

"It would." She murmured. "We could change things once we are ruling."

"Women won't have so little rights. People won't have to starve." Loki said. Tari smiled.

"It sounds wonderful." She said. This was yet another reason why Loki would make a better king than Thor; he could question the things he was told and didn't just accept them as fact. Thor wouldn't realise how terribly some women were being treated because he had been taught that it was right and normal. He would not try to improve the living conditions of peasants who did not have enough to eat because he had been told that they were beneath him and he hadn't ever questioned it. Loki was the best king for Asgard.

* * *

"I can confirm that the child is female." Eir said later that week as Tari lay on the soul forge once more. I may as well start sleeping here, she thought wryly. She smiled at the thought of a daughter. The confirmation of the baby's gender somehow made her seem more real, more like a person. Tari wondered what she would look like; would she have Tari's red hair or Loki's black hair? Brown eyes or green eyes? Would she be short or tall? Tari's mind ran amok with images of all these possible daughters. This child would be queen of Asgard one day, when Loki and Tari were old. What would she be like? Tari couldn't wait to find out.

"The baby is still growing healthily and everything seems to be developing normally. That will be all." Eir said. Tari smiled slightly as she slipped of the soul forge. She found it amusing how Eir spoke to everyone as if they were beneath her, even the royals. She didn't seem to like anyone.

Tari followed Loki out into the corridor. Loki was smiling.

"We're going to have a daughter." He murmured. Tari smiled and placed a hand on her swollen belly. She couldn't quite tell, but she thought she could feel the baby moving around. Her smile widened. Her daughter was moving. Loki slid an arm around Tari's waist and they made their way back to their chambers.

"Maybe we should think of a name for her." Loki said. Tari looked up from her book.

"Hm?" Loki smiled fondly.

"We should think of a name for the baby. So that we can stop calling her 'the baby'." Tari nodded and thought for a moment.

"I like… Esta." she murmured. Loki smiled softly.

"Esta." He said, trying it out. "I like that."

"Princess Esta." Tari said softly. She felt the tiny baby move again- at least she thought she did. She grinned.

"I can feel her moving again. I think she likes the name." Loki kissed Tari softly on the lips and squeezed her hand.

* * *

Tari had to endure several lectures on childbirth, caring for a baby and coping with pregnancy from her mother over the next few weeks.

"Tari, I should warn you; childbirth is extremely painful. You were born almost a month early so you were a lot smaller than most babies, and yet it was still like being on Hel itself. It is very unlikely that your daughter will also be born early, so she will be larger. She may also take after your husband and be quite a large baby and as you are small yourself- "

"Mother, this really isn't helping me!" Tari exclaimed shrilly. Panic was knotting her insides.

"I'm simply trying to warn you." Her mother said. Tari sighed. She was already nervous about Esta's birth without her mother's 'help'.

"Loki and I have decided to name our baby Esta." Tari said, needing to change the subject. Her mother smiled.

"I'm very happy for you, Tari. I can't believe you're going to be a mother." Tari shook her head.

"Neither can I." she murmured. Several months ago, a pregnancy would have been one of the worst things that could happen to her because Gorran would have been the father. Her life would have been like Hel. She couldn't describe how relieved she was that her life had turned out this way.

* * *

Frigga sank into her chair. Things were getting so complicated. Every day she had to see how happy Loki and Tari were, while she knew that whatever happened, their happiness was going to disappear.

Frigga knew Odin had at least some vague idea of a solution but he wouldn't tell her anything. She was truly worried for her family and what was going to happen to them. She was worried for granddaughter, Esta, as Loki had told her a few weeks ago. Frigga sighed and closed her eyes. She didn't know what to do. Odin would tell her nothing, even though this involved people she cared about. Even though this affected her life, her family. Even though Loki wasn't her true son, she cared for him just as much as she did Thor. It was painful to think about Loki knowing that he was not her son, but Frigga knew the right thing to do was tell him the truth. She'd felt so awful all these years, lying to her son. She knew he'd be angry when he found out. Angry with Odin. She hoped it wouldn't hurt him too much. She hoped Tari would be able to help him through it. She could only pray that Odin wouldn't harm any of them in this plan of his.

* * *

That's all for today! I will update by next Thursday, please review!

Loki's best friend- I think they will be too.

Vampireloki- Thankyou, that's really nice to hear!

Stencil Angel- Glad you're happy! I often feel like killing Odin too.


	28. Chapter 28

Hey! Thankyou CallMeWonder, Lauren Emmens and Loki's best friend for following/favouriting/reviewing.

Chapter 28

Tari sat at dinner with Loki and his family. They were in the private dining room in the royal quarters.

Tari could feel Esta moving again. She was nine months pregnant now. She really couldn't wait until Esta was born. She couldn't wait to have a child.

"If I could have your attention for a moment, please." Odin said. All talk immediately ceased and everyone was watching Odin.

"As you all must know, I am getting old. It will soon be time for me to give up Asgard's throne to one of my sons. I have now made the decision of which son that will be." Tari's hands curled into fists and her heart leapt. "I will be announcing my decision to you and the realm in a week's time." Loki clutched Tari's hand under the table and they exchanged a look. This was it. Odin's decision would define their future. Tari couldn't believe they had to wait a week to hear it.

Dinner finished promptly and Tari and Loki left as soon as possible.

"Valhalla…" Loki murmured as soon as they were safely inside their chambers. "This doesn't seem real." Tari shook her head, feeling stunned.

"I know." She muttered.

"I think in a way I'm almost dreading it because… well, once we know his decision, that's it- if Thor is chosen it's the end." Loki said. He almost looked sad.

"Loki…" Tari murmured. "This could be wonderful! This is what we've been waiting for all these months! Remember what we've been saying- you are a much better choice for the throne. You have an heir, the right attributes… Odin would have to be mad not to choose you. We just have to hold on for one more week and then we'll know. We'll know our future and we can finally be happy. Don't we deserve that?" Tari said, resting her hands on her belly. She needed Odin to make the right decision, for the future of their child. For Esta. She hadn't met the girl yet, but she already knew she loved her. She guessed it was the maternal instincts kicking in. she wondered if her mother had felt this way when she was carrying her? Did all mothers feel this way? Valhalla, she was so clueless about this.

The week passed agonisingly slowly. Every minute seemed to last hours and Tari could see how agitated Loki was getting and how nervous he was. He was trying to hide it, but Tari could see. Every time Tari tried to bring it up he insisted he was fine. Tari didn't know what to do.

The morning of the ceremony finally arrived and Tari couldn't begin to describe how nervous she was. She dressed herself in green and gold, to show that she and Loki were a united front. She brushed on a small amount of cosmetics, trying to make herself look more regal. Loki had on his helmet. Tari smirked a little at that.

"Don't even think about it." Loki warned when he saw her smile. He took her hand. "Ready?"

"Sort of." Tari replied. "Are you nervous?"

"So nervous. Don't let go of me." Loki said, his face pinched with worry. Tari smiled softly, hoping it would seem encouraging.

"I won't."

They left their chambers together, both doing their best to look confident and calm, when in fact they were both trying not to tremble with nerves. They reached the throne room and stood on the steps below Odin's throne, waiting for everyone else to arrive. The royal family arrived one by one. Thor was smirking triumphantly, as if he already knew his father's decision. That gave Tari a bad feeling.

The court started trickling in, person by person. Tari's nerves were getting uncontrollable. She just needed this to be over. The Allfather finally strode in and took his seat on the throne. Tari looked up at him. She hoped to see Loki sitting there one day. In her mind was an image of Loki on the throne, her by his side with Esta. When that image came to life, when it was truly happening, that was when Tari would be happy. Really, truly happy. The Allfather brought down his staff on the floor and the room grew silent.

"As you all know, I have made my decision on which of my sons should take the throne. You are here today to hear that decision. After much deliberation, I have decided that Prince Thor should take the throne."

* * *

Loki felt as if someone had thrown a blanket over everything and had just left him with his father's words echoing through his head. Prince Thor should take the throne, Prince Thor, Thor. Odin had chosen Thor. Why? Why had Odin chosen Thor? Loki didn't understand. The only real thing he could feel was Tari's hand gripping his arm. Then her eyes watching him, filled with worry.

"Loki." Her whisper was barely audible. Loki looked over at Thor. He was smiling, arms raised as the crowd cheered him. Thor. The Golden Prince. Asgard's favourite. How could he have been so foolish? Of course it was Thor. Odin's favourite.

"Just look happy for a minute. We'll leave as soon as possible. Wear a mask, Loki." Tari whispered again. Loki looked at her. She was smiling graciously, clapping softly, but her eyes were filled with hatred.

The royal family walked through the crowd in a procession. As soon as Tari and Loki escaped the throne room, they almost ran to their chambers. As soon as the door was shut, icy hatred combined with anger began to course through Loki's veins. He clenched his fists. He needed to hit something. Tari's face was blank, almost unfeeling. Loki opened his mouth and a guttural scream of rage ripped through him. He looked back at Tari. Her face was paper white and she was breathing heavily. One hand was gripping a chair for support while the other was clutching her belly. She looked at him, her eyes full of pain and worry.

"Loki… it hurts…" she whispered. "The baby…"

* * *

I feel so mean… I will update by next Thursday, please review!

Loki's best friend- Glad you like the name. I agree with you, they should do those things.


	29. Chapter 29

Hey guys! Thankyou kathrynrose42, Guest, Loki's best friend, ZabuzasGirl and Stencil Angel for favouriting/reviewing.

Chapter 29

Loki froze. It was too early for Esta… unless something was wrong. He stepped forward and took Tari's arm, worried that she was going to fall.

"Come on. You need to get to the healing wing." He said. The anger that had run rampant through him had now given way to fear. Fear for Tari and Esta. His wife and daughter. Loki helped Tari out of the room. He didn't understand what was going on. Was this birth, or was there something wrong? If either Tari or Esta were hurt or even dying…

The healing wing wasn't too far away, thankfully. Tari was biting her lip, her face screwed up.

"Oh Hel." She muttered, her teeth gritted.

"It's alright." Loki said, trying to convince himself more than her.

They reached the healing wing and were met by Eir.

"Your Highness?" Then she looked at Tari. "Come with me." She ordered with surprising authority. She led Tari to a room on the far side of the healing wing. Loki walked behind, his stomach twisting in knots from worry. Tari was taken into the room. She threw him a frightened look before being ushered from view.

"If you'd wait here." Eir said to Loki and the door shut in his face. Loki clenched his fists. He hated that he could do nothing to help. This was completely out of his hands and he hated it. If something bad happened to Tari or Esta, he wouldn't be able to stop it. He had to resort to pacing in front of the door; he couldn't sit still and he couldn't leave. He knew his presence affected nothing, but it would feel wrong to leave Tari. It would feel like he was abandoning her. Loki heard a scream erupt from inside the room. He gritted his teeth and clenched his fists. It felt as if he was waiting there for an eternity, listening to Tari's screams and being unable to do anything. Then the screaming stopped. Loki listened for the sound of a baby's wails but none came. An overwhelming sense of dread filled him and he opened the door. Tari was hunched up on a bed, her face tear stained and almost grey. Her dark eyes were staring blankly ahead. Fear struck in Loki's heart when he looked over at Eir. She was holding a small, fabric covered bundle.

"What's wrong?" Loki asked, his heart racing with fear. Was the baby still-born? No, that wasn't possible. Tari had felt her moving and kicking. "What's wrong?" Loki repeated, his voice rising.

"I'm sorry." Eir murmured. "The child didn't make it." Loki felt as if he had been punched in the stomach. The grief and anger hit him in a wave, drowning out everything but that harsh ache of loss. Esta was dead. He'd lost almost everything in one day. Odin had chosen Thor, Esta was dead. He and Tari could never have that future they'd dreamed of. It was gone, dead with Esta. Loki turned towards Tari. Tears were streaming freely down her face now. He moved over to her and sat on the bed beside her. He put his arms around her, knowing that she would be feeling even worse than he did.

* * *

Tari closed her eyes, trying to block out everything but her and Loki. Trying to block out her daughter's dead body just across the room. Her Esta. Her baby. She didn't understand how it had happened. She had felt Esta kicking her. She had been alive just a few hours ago. More tears poured from her eyes. It was all gone, all lost. Esta, the throne. Tari felt like a knife had been pushed right into her heart. She was dimly aware of being taken back to the chambers she shared with Loki and placed on the bed. When Eir was gone, she looked up at Loki.

"Why did she have to die?" she rasped, her voice weak. Loki shook his head.

"It doesn't make any sense." He muttered, his eyes clouded. Tari felt white hot anger rising in her throat.

"What did we do to deserve all this? What did Esta do to deserve death?" she shouted, her fists clenched, her nails digging into her palms. It wasn't fair, none of it was. Esta was just a baby. She had been alive. Why wasn't she now, why did she have to die? Tari began to sob. Just a few hours ago, she'd believed in that perfect future with Loki and Esta, being queen, having a family. Now it was gone, smashed to pieces.

"You- you said you felt her moving." Loki murmured.

"I did. I did, and I don't understand why she stopped." Loki sat on the bed beside her and took her hand. Tari clung onto him. They needed each other right now. They had no one else.

* * *

Frigga stormed into the throne room. Odin stood just in front of her.

"Was _this_ your plan? Killing our granddaughter?" she demanded angrily.

"Frigga, no! I would never go that far!" Odin reassured her, infuriatingly calm. "Is it really that surprising that the child did not survive, given her mixed heritage?"

"Tari has said she felt the baby moving. She was alive until the last minute! Explain that. "Frigga shouted. She didn't want to believe that he had done this, she needed him to convince her that he hadn't.

"Frigga, I don't know why it happened any more than you do. I do admit that it does make things easier for me, but I in no way orchestrated it. Do you believe me?" Frigga bit her lip.

"I'll try."

* * *

I feel so mean… I may be unable to update next week, but I will do my best and update as soon as I can. Please review!

Kathrynrose42- Yeah, it did!

Guest- Yeah I know, it was mean, but it felt necessary. I'm so glad you like the story!

Loki's best friend- Yeah, poor Loki. I feel so mean doing this to him.

ZabuzasGirl- Glad you like it!

Stencil Angel- I agree, Odin is horrible.


	30. Chapter 30

I'm sorry it's been so long! I was without Wi-Fi for a while. Anyway, thankyou Winter-Soldier-88, Loki's best friend, PinkAwesomeCow, Decepticon Chick, Thor13542, ZabuzasGirl, and Laceymisawa for following/favouriting/reviewing.

Chapter 30

"It will get better." Tari heard those words far too many times over the next few months. Everyone treated her like some fragile doll that could fall apart at any moment. The only people who treated her like the adult she was were Loki, Queen Frigga and- surprisingly- Tari's mother. Nothing could soften the sharp ache of Esta's death. Tari wondered how it was possible that an emotional ailment could actually feel like physical pain. She hated that she'd never even seen Esta's body. She'd never know what she would have looked like. She'd never know anything about her. Maybe that was the part that hurt the most- Esta had never been more than an idea of a daughter. And there were the whispers of the courtiers. Whispers that she was unable to bear children, or she had been too weak to keep the baby alive.

Tari was trying to keep her grief bottled up, but she couldn't stop crying at night. She knew that during the day she seemed empty, unfeeling and cold, but that was the way she needed to deal with this. She hated to be seen as weak or vulnerable. Loki was similar. He seemed to be sculpted of ice when they were around other people. And sometimes when they were alone. That frightened Tari. She was afraid that they were growing distant with each other, and she couldn't bear that. Loki was almost everything she had and she loved him more than anything.

"Tari?" said Loki's voice from behind her. Tari turned around and tried to smile. That was something that had become difficult lately. "Are you alright?" Loki asked, placing a hand on her shoulder. Tari shook her head. There was no point in lying.

"No. not really." She murmured. Loki pulled her closer.

"I know." He said softly. Tari bit her lip. She just didn't know what they were supposed to do now. Their dreams had been smashed to pieces- Esta was gone, Odin had chosen Thor. There was nothing left.

But maybe it was time to stop letting their lives be controlled by other people. What had that ever gotten them? Only hardship and misery. Tari knew Thor didn't deserve to be king. He was brash and stupid and the worst thing for Asgard. What in the nine realms had possessed Odin to choose Thor over Loki? Tari wasn't sure whether to voice these thoughts to Loki. They were treason and Thor was his brother. But she couldn't speak to anyone else.

"We can't let this happen." Loki muttered. Tari frowned.

"What?" Loki avoided making eye contact.

"Thor can't be king. If he's king, Asgard will burn." He said. There was a pause. "We have to do something." So, he'd been having the same thoughts as she had. Tari nodded.

"I-I know. I've been thinking the same things." She said.

"We need to make my father see wat an awful king Thor would make." Loki said.

"So he's got to do something stupid." Tari said, trying to think.

"Yes." Loki frowned slightly. "I have an idea. Can you meet me by the lake at sunset?"

"Well, yes but… Loki this is treason! It's serious and we can't take it lightly!" Tari said urgently.

"I know." Loki said softly. "But we're doing this for Asgard. And for us. We're going to get what we want for ourselves." He kissed her forehead before walking to the door.

"Where are you going?" Tari asked.

"To check something." Loki said. "Just be by the lake at sunset. And make sure no one sees you." With that he was gone. Tari sighed. That had taken a turn she hadn't expected. She knew wat they were getting themselves into and she couldn't deny that she was worried. But it had to be done. And who was going to do it but them? She just wished she knew what Loki was planning. His state of mind wasn't right. Neither was hers for that matter. She just hoped that Loki's judgement was still intact.

* * *

Tari slipped out of their chambers, tugging her hood further over her face. She didn't want anyone to notice her. Thankfully, no one gave her a second glance as she made her way out of the castle. She remembered how often she had done this back when Gorran was alive. Loki was waiting by the lake, drumming his fingers along his forearm. Tari couldn't tell if it was out of nerves or something else. He looked tense, but his mouth was curved into a small smile.

"There you are!" he said.

"Loki, please tell me what is going on." Tari pleaded, her stomach twisted in knots. Loki looked over at something behind her. Tari turned and saw three people, quite close to the castle. She didn't think they were looking at them, but if they did they'd definitely recognise Loki, and perhaps her.

"Come on." Loki said and Tari allowed him to take her hand and lead her into the forest. Once they had travelled a considerable distance, Tari stopped walking.

"Loki, tell me what we're doing here." She demanded. Loki looked at her.

"We're going to Jotunheim." He said. Tari's blood felt like it was turning to ice water in her veins.

* * *

That's all for today! I will try to update by next Monday or if not there will definitely be a chapter next week. Please review!

Loki's best friend- Yeah they did. I hope they will have another baby but I'm not sure how this story's going to go.

Winter-Soldier-88- Aww I'm sorry!

PinkAwesomeCow- Probably…


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